


Rise of the Green Dragon

by WhiteravenGreywolf



Series: The Green Dragon [2]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV), The 100 (TV)
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Game of Thrones AU, Game of Thrones Spoilers, If Lexa had existed in the show, Kid!Lexa, Lexa is a Targaryen, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Multi, Prequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-05-24 11:15:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 57,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14953640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteravenGreywolf/pseuds/WhiteravenGreywolf
Summary: With her wedding getting closer by the day, Lexa starts to wonder whether her mother would have agreed with her choice, and what she would think of her now. A trip down memory lane seems necessary.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! About a month ago I posted a story called "The Green Dragon" (if you haven't read it it's mostly a lot of Clexa fluff, while this story is more heavily leaning toward Lexa herself) in which I promised that I was going to work on a prequel. Well, here it is! This was a long and tiring project but I do not regret a second spent on it. I think it's awesome and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! I will be posting a chapter every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so you can expect the first chapter tomorrow.
> 
> Each chapter will focus on a season of Game of Thrones, but you'll see what I mean tomorrow. I tried to be as thorough in my research as I could. I obviously rewatched the show, of course, but also used the wiki as much as I could. If you have any questions or any comments you want to say about something that I may have missed, just leave a review and it will be my pleasure to answer. Alright, other than that, once again, I hope you'll enjoy the story, and I hope to see you guys tomorrow!

**Prologue**

  
  
A few days before her sixteenth name-day, Tyrion had come to talk to her. He'd advice her, as his Hand and Queen Regent, to wait a bit longer for her crowning, to ease herself into the role until she felt ready to bear the crown once and for all. Anyone else could have thought the Queen Regent was just trying to keep the power for himself as long as possible, but Lexa knew better, and she trusted Tyrion fully. At the time, she'd realized, he'd been right. She received more and more responsibility as time went on, and it seemed easy, learning how to balance the needs of a kingdom slowly. But right now, when she had a Royal Wedding followed right away by a double crowning to organize, she cursed her Hand's name every time she entered and exited a room.

  
This, in small part, was the reason why she'd taken some time for herself in the early afternoon, to lunch but also spend time with her betrothed. She'd found she didn't spend nearly enough time with Clarke since they'd returned to King's Landing. So, she'd organized herself to make sure they would always have at least an hour to themselves. Sometimes they would wander the gardens, sometimes they would go down to the sea and watch the sun glow over the water and the boats rock over the waves. Most of the times, however, they simply stayed in Lexa's room, silent. An Unsullied soldier, most of the times Grey Worm, would stand guard at the door, unmoving like a statue and just as silent, his presence forgotten to the two of them. Lexa had joked he chaperoned them as well because it was expected of the soon-to-be Queens of Westeros. She had then whispered to Clarke's ears that it was a bit too late for that, and Clarke had blushed furiously.

  
During those moments spend together, Lexa would lie in one of the couches and read, while Clarke would sit in the other and draw, usually Lexa. They'd discovered this side of each other one evening, soon after Clarke had arrived in King's Landing. Since then, Lexa had made sure to keep an eye out for any of Clarke's new drawing, while Clarke watched with a small smile how quickly Lexa devoured books, picking a new one almost every day. That was, of course, when she didn't fall asleep, the book left forgotten on her chest as she napped. Then, Clarke would smile brightly, and carefully pick up the book off her chest, as to not wake her. She would sit back on her couch and continue her drawing. After a while it happened so often that Clarke realized she had more drawings of Lexa asleep then she had of her awake and reading.

  
One afternoon, Lord Tyrion was looking for Lexa, as a raven had arrived from Winterfell. When he found her asleep on the couch, he smiled and looked toward Clarke, who'd stopped drawing. She was still rather uncomfortable in the Hand's presence, a bit afraid he would suddenly find a reason why Lexa couldn't marry her, and Lexa would have no choice but to agree this time. Sure he'd been a bit cold about the idea at first, but since he'd shown her nothing but respect and even something akin to appreciation. He looked at her drawing with that same smile and declared softly:

  
"You're quite talented, my Lady. She doesn't look half as pretty when she sleeps, usually."

  
He chuckled at his own joke and Clarke smiled. She'd quickly realized, upon meeting Lord Tyrion, that Lexa owned him a lot in terms of humor. But then again the Dothraki and the Unsullied didn't seem to know anything close to a joke, and while Missandei was always smiling and welcoming, she always spoke the truth, straight and easy, instead of masquerading it behind words. Clarke could only assume whether Queen Daenerys had had any humor. Lexa had yet to talk to her about her mother.

  
"What is she reading this time?" Lord Tyrion asked as he exchanged the small scroll in his hand for the thick book Clarke had placed on the table.

  
Before he could read the title, Clarke declared:

  
"The Conquest of Westeros, my Lord."

  
He looked at the book, then at Lexa.

  
"Again. I swear she reads it once a month. But I shouldn't complain, after all, I was the one who gave her this book in first place."

  
"Really?"

  
Tyrion placed the book back on the table and turned fully to Clarke, a smile on his lips.

  
"Yes, for her ninth name-day, if I remember correctly. I would like to think I'm the one who gave her the taste for books. Before she met me she knew how to read, of course, but she thought more about fighting and riding than she ever cared about books. But as I told her many times, a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone..."

  
"... if it is to keep its edge, I know..."

  
They both turned to Lexa who was still half-asleep, but still managed to look like she was glaring at her Hand.

  
"Lessons can wait, let me sleep." she mumbled before changing position to lay on her side.

  
Tyrion turned to face her, this time.

  
"If I didn't know you better, I'd wager sleeping is no longer your nightly priorities."

  
Clarke tried to control her blush but to no avail. Tyrion quickly turned toward her with a smile:

  
"I'm sorry if I offended you, my Lady, but I'm afraid from now on I won't be able to laugh at Alexandria's expense without including you as well."

  
Before Clarke could tell him that it was fine, Lexa replied:

  
"I'm sure you'll find a way quickly enough."

  
She stood up, stretching her arms. Her shirt hiked up a bit, exposing a sliver of her stomach, and she had to push it back down.

  
"What did you need, my Lord Hand."

  
Tyrion picked up the scroll and handed it toward her.

  
"A letter from Winterfell, Your Grace."

  
Lexa broke the seal and quickly read through it.

  
"Alright! We can expect a delegation of a hundred northerners within the fortnight, including Lady Sansa and Lady Arya."

  
The more she spoke the more excited she seemed.

  
"I wasn't expecting the both of them to join us," Tyrion declared. "I truly thought Lady Sansa wouldn't come, seeing how the last wedding she attended in King's Landing ended with the death of the King."

  
Lexa smirked.

  
"She must have heard Lady Margaery would be there."

  
Tyrion smirked back.

  
"Yes, nothing like a royal wedding to rekindle old flames. Should I have one or two rooms prepared for them?"

  
"Two."

  
Lexa seemed thoughtful for a second before she turned to Clarke.

  
"Adjacent or on opposite side of the Keep?"

  
Clarke rolled her eyes.

  
"Would you be so cruel, on your wedding day no less?"

  
"Your Lady has a point." Tyrion conceded.

  
"My Lady always has a point, even when I don't listen. But fine, adjacent it is. Too bad, I was looking forward to seeing Lady Margaery wandering the halls like a morning ghost."

  
"Like you would even be able to leave your bed early enough to see her," Clarke replied boldly. She'd forgotten Tyrion's presence and almost regretted her words when he exploded in laughter.

  
"I like her a lot, Lex. Never let her go, please, for my sake."

  
Clarke couldn't hold her smile as Lord Tyrion turned to her and bowed.

  
"My Lady, I must return to work."

  
He walked out of the room and shouted over his shoulder:

  
"Oh, and Lexa, the High Septon would like to see you again. As soon as possible."

  
Lexa groaned and almost threw herself back on the couch. Tyrion closed the door behind her. Lexa looked at Grey Worm.

  
"Next time the Hands wants to come in, don't let him."

  
Grey Worm nodded with a seriousness which scared Clarke, as she was pretty sure Grey Worm had not taken it as a joke. Lexa was about to reach for her book once again when Clarke asked her:

  
"Do you think he meant it?"

  
"What?"

  
"That he likes me?"

  
Lexa smiled softly and stood up, just to come to sit beside Clarke and take both her hands. The emerald eyes lost themselves in Clarke's blue eyes for a moment before she declared:

  
"Of course he does. I told you he would. So does everyone else. The twins love spending time with you, and Missandei likes you very much too. And Grey Worm, you like Clarke too, don't you?"

  
They both looked at the Unsullied who nodded and replied:

  
"I like Lady Clarke very much, Lexa." Though his words were still a bit hesitant and thick with his accent, they all could see the truth in his words.

  
"See? They all like you. And all the people of the Kingdom will too, soon. Because if they don't I'll give them to Rhaegal." she added with a smile.

  
Clarke pursed her lips.

  
"Do you think..." she stopped herself, unsure whether she was treading on thin ice.

  
"What?"

  
"No, it's stupid. I don't want you to get mad."

  
"I could never get mad about anything you could ever ask, promise."

  
"Do you think your mother would have liked me?"

  
Lexa shrugged.

  
"I don't know. I've stopped wondering whether she would like what I do or not a long time ago. All I know is that she always followed her heart and her soul when she was taking a decision, and that's what I did."

  
She kissed the blonde, placing a hand on her cheek. They had to part when Grey Worm cleared his throat. He seemed to be taking his role as chaperon very seriously.

  
"How come you never talk about her?" Clarke asked, now a bit more assured of herself.

  
"I don't know. I don't think there is much to say. She was amazing. She was my hero. She could have conquered all of Westeros in a day, burning it all down, but she chose a more peaceful route. She's the reason why we're all still standing here today. I thought she would never die and if she did, it would have been glorious and everyone would have remembered Queen Daenerys Targaryen, first of her name for thousands of years. Instead, she died in childbirth, like so many women before her did."

  
Clarke could hear the slight strain in her voice the more she spoke. Finally, she placed both her hands on Lexa's cheeks and looked longly in her eyes.

  
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

  
Lexa's smile returned and Clarke placed a kiss on her forehead.

  
"Now go, the High Septon is waiting."

  
Lexa sighed.

  
"What, so he can tell me again how our wedding is the most unholy thing to grace the Seven Kingdoms since Aegon the Conqueror's two sister-wifes?"

  
Lexa placed a kiss on the crown of Clarke's head and stood up, walking out of the room. She straightened her back and squared her shoulder, ready to hit back the pompous man waiting for her with everything she had. But still, in the back of her mind, she couldn't quite shake Clarke's question away. Would her mother approve of her choice, if she'd lived?


	2. Year 1: The Red Waste, Qarth and Visions from another time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Lexa may not remember as far back as Qarth, she does remember the few stories her mother told her.

Lexa was born at the entrance of the Red Waste. The cold night had fallen upon them, and Danaerys' entire body ached so badly from walking all day long she'd yet to realize the contractions had begun. It was only when she sat down, just as some women of her small Khalasar were building her tent for the night, that she realized something was off. She was helped hastily in her half-built tent, and her two handmaidens helped her deliver her baby.

There were screams echoing long into the night, and Ser Jorah, along with the rest of her Khalasar, waited patiently outside for something, anything. He knew of Danaerys' greatest fears, how anxious she'd recently become about her baby. But he'd been forbidden entrance, first by the handmaidens claiming the tent was too small, then by the three dragons, keeping watch around their mother. Sometimes it was their weak screams which pierced the night sky.

Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion, as their mother had named them, refused to leave her side. They would weakly fly around the tent, landing close to their mother but never in the way of the handmaiden. Even through the pain, Dany noticed their behavior and thought it was cute. They were excitedly waiting for their brother to be born. This brought a twinge of fear in her heart. What if there was no brother? Since Drogo's death, she'd thought their son dead more than once, because he'd stopped responding to her voice. He'd stopped kicking or moving, and she'd almost wished his movements would wake her up well into the night once again.

While Viserion finally seemed to settle, standing close to Dany's head, Drogon would jump around like he couldn't be contained, like nothing could cage him again. Maybe he was more excited about spreading his wings and finally being to move around then by the birth of his brother. Rhaegal was the most curious one. Ever since his own birth less than a month ago he would often lay on her belly and warm her skin there during cold nights. Now he was laying right at the base of it, and he let out a small cry from time to time as if the baby inside of her could hear him and would respond.

Irri told her to push so she did, but the pain made her head spin, and it became harder and harder to focus on anything. She decided to focus on one thing only, Rhaegal's warm weight on her abdomen.

Soon enough there was a deafening scream, high pitched but so strong, and Dany knew she was crying. Tears of happiness stained her eyes as her handmaidens cleaned her and the baby quickly, with as little water as could be wasted, before handing her her baby. They weren't smiling as brightly as she was, and Dany frowned, fearing once again for the worst.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, her brain barely able to remember her Dothraki.

"Nothing Khaleesi." Doreah handed her a small bundled baby, and Dany looked longly at the little face peeking through the clothes. "But the Dosh Khaleen had predicted a son, yet your baby is a little girl."

Dany smiled down at the bundle. A girl. She had a daughter. She couldn't have guessed herself, not by looking at her face. Her eyes were still closed, but Dany could see her trying to open them. Her small nose seemed flat, barely a little hill over her face. She seemed asleep.

"The Dosh Khaleen is never wrong about a baby, it is known." Irri declared.

This made Dany smiled even more.

"You've already crushed all the expectations placed upon you, do you know that?" she asked her daughter. "You're going to be a very special little girl."  
Rhaegal suddenly appeared in her field of vision. She'd been so occupied with her new daughter she'd forgotten about her three other children. Viserion was snuggling against his mother's cheek now, his smooth scales sliding warmly against her cheek. Drogon seemed hesitant to move forward. Rhaegal, however, climbed along his mother's hand until he could reach his sister. There, he licked the blood left on her face. Dany was about to shoo him away, but her baby suddenly smiled.

She knew then there would always be a particular connection between Rhaegal and her newborn daughter, but it was only when she opened her eyes, unveiling beautiful emerald eyes, that she knew Rhaegal was meant to be hers.

Naming took far more time than necessary. She couldn't well name her daughter Rhaego, it was a man's name. After much debate with herself, and with Ser Jorah who'd finally decided to come inside and make sure they were okay, she settled on a name never worn by Targaryens or Dothraki before, a long forgotten Valyrian name which would suit a special girl like her daughter: Alexandria.

* * *

Lexa had no memories of Qarth. Her mother almost never spoke of it. The few times she'd asked, however, her mother would always say the same things. Qarth was a gilded cage, but she'd understand it too late. Every time she spoke of the greatest city that ever was, but never will be, not anymore, her mother would advise her to always be wary of people showing any interest in her. Everyone had their own agenda, she would tell her, and until you know what that agenda is you should always be wary of people you don't know. Only once had her mother proven wrong, which was another reason why Lexa thought Dany would have appreciated Clarke.

She did remember a few of the stories her mother had told her about Qarth. Her favorite was how she would always sleep with Rhaegal by her side, like a faithful hound ready to protect her. After that Rhaegal quickly became too big to sleep with her, but when she was just a baby they were just about the same size, and keeping Rhaegal close was the only way to keep her calm. He had been her favorite brother from the beginning.

Because Dany could not bring her to all the parties and meetings she attended there, Lexa had to stay in their room, in the golden crib their host had had sculpted for her. Her mother used to say they should have taken it with them when they'd left, but it was so heavy even four of Dothraki could not lift it. It was decorated with dragons, apparently, and to this day Lexa wished she could remember what it looked like. It must have been one hell of a piece of art. This crib, however, seemed to be her own cage. Even with Rhaegal sleeping by her side, Lexa would never sleep in it. She wouldn't cry, either, but just stay awake and babble.

Dany had understood it quickly and would wait to be alone in their room to take her out of the crib and place her beside her on the bed. They would sleep that way every night, and Dany would watch as Lexa's beautiful emerald eyes would droop slowly until she would fall asleep peacefully. As it turned out, her mother's closeness was all she ever needed. That too, Lexa wished she could remember.

* * *

Lexa's first encounter with death had been a close call. They'd spent quite a few months in Qarth, as Dany tried and failed every time to gather support. Lexa could sit up on her own by then, and she seemed very proud of it too. She would crawl around their bedroom, too, though she seemed more interested in watching her brothers fly. Every time one of the dragons would fly over her she would extend her hand to catch them as if she wanted to fly with them too.  
Dany had been coming back from multiple meetings with some members of the Thirteen, still trying to acquire the ships she needed to go to Westeros. Xaro Xhoan Daxos had kept insisting he was the best she would find, and Dany had continued to ignore him. She'd prayed Ser Jorah would find them a ship swiftly. She could feel the cage closing around her with every day she remained in Qarth.

Upon finding her Khalasar slaughtered, however, there had been only one thought on her mind. Her children. She ran up the stairs, only to find both her son's cages and her daughter's crib empty. Panic seized her heart. Irri was laying on the floor, her throat slit. She had been the one in charge of Lexa. While the rest of her Khalasar checked to see whether there had been survivors, she could only think about the anger bubbling in her throat. They'd butchered her people and taken her dragons away from her, all four of them. Her little dragon princess was nowhere to be found, and neither were her brothers.

"Where are my dragons?!" she screamed, though her question was left unanswered by everyone. Everyone, except a sharp cry, coming from under the bed. Dany's heart stopped as she crouched down. She pushed the bed sheets aside, and found Lexa there, laying on her belly as if she were trying to crawl out, but didn't know which way to go. With relief, Dany dragged her out and hugged her fiercely. At least one of her children was safe and sound. Lexa had continued to cry well into the night, while everyone had been searching for her brothers. Dany still didn't understand what had happened, only that Irri had probably hidden the Princess when she'd heard the assassins coming, and she owed her handmaiden her daughter's life.

After this incident, Dany had decided to never let her daughter out of her sight. She attended the council of the Thirteen, asking her dragons be returned to her, with Lexa strapped to her chest, held in place by a dutifully wrapped white band of silk. Lexa sometimes wished she could have seen it, this small but fierce Queen, arguing and threatening those men with a baby strapped to her chest. When they'd discovered her dragons were at the House of the Undying, Jorah tried to stop her from going, arguing it was too dangerous. He had a ship leaving for Astapor, and they had Lexa, it was all that mattered. He argued:

"They didn't suckle at your breast. She did. They are dragons, Khaleesi. If we stay in Qarth, we'll die."

"You should sail to Astapor. I'm sure you'll be safe there."

"You know I would die for you. I will never abandon you. I've sworn to protect you, to serve."

"Then serve me! If my dragons are in the House of the Undying, then take me there."

"That's what the warlocks want. He told you so himself. If you enter that place, you will never leave again. His magic is strong. Think of your daughter, Khaleesi, please."

Dany was tired of arguing with the older man. She was a mother to her dragons just as much as she was Lexa's mother and if she abandoned them then she knew she would never be able to look her daughter in the eyes.

"And what of my magic? You saw me step into the fire! You watched the witch burn! What did the flames do to me? Do you remember?"

"Until my last breath, I will remember. After I have forgotten my mother's face..."

"And do you remember afterward, when Lexa stopped moving, when we thought she had died before she'd even been born? They were the only children I had then, and until she screamed for the first time I thought they were the only one I would ever have."

Ser Jorah had been silent then. Lexa had been asleep, unaware of all the excitement which would surely come soon.

"Take me to them."

* * *

Lexa had yet to wake up by the time Daenerys, Jorah, and Kovarro had reached the House of the Undying. Dany had no idea what to do with her daughter, who to trust and who to leave her with, so she'd taken her with her, strapped to her chest once again. She'd considered leaving her in Jorah's hands, but he was there to protect them both, which he would not be able to do if he had a toddler in his hands.

Her mother almost never spoke of what she'd seen inside the tower, the visions she'd seen there. Lexa did not remember any of them, but she wished she did.  
She and her mother were alone in this tower, following the screams of her brothers leading them through dark passages. A door led them to a circular room with more doors, and Dany opened the one where the screams seemed to be coming from.

They entered the Throne Room of the Red Keep. Dany would not see it again for a long time, six long and hard years. Snow was falling from the broken rooftop, and Dany wondered what could have done such a thing. Lexa began to squirm when a snowflake fell on her little nose, waking her up. Dany had almost forgotten she'd been there. She left her torch behind and climbed the snowy steps leading to the throne. It was smaller than she'd imagined, but mostly, it was empty, hers for the taking. Her dragons screamed, a high pitched sound which pierced through her clouded mind, and Dany moved away.

She walked toward another door, and it rose high above her, leading her through a tunnel of ice. She followed the cold passage until she reached a large open space, covered in snow. A snowstorm had been blowing over the place, making it difficult to see ahead. Lexa began to whimper, unused to the cold temperatures and the snow melting on her skin. Her brown hair was dotted with small white flakes, and Dany had passed a hand through her hair to soothe her.

Upon walking further, Dany found a single door, closed, with no walls to support it. She reached it as quickly as she could before Lexa began to cry. She pulled the door open. It was a bit stuck because of the snow, but soon she managed to pass through the gap. She frowned. They were back at the Throne Room. This time, however, there wasn't any snow. Fires were burning on every candle lit around the room, a warm light was passing through the windows. This time, the throne was taken.

A young woman, about Dany's age, was seated on it. She looked both parts graceful and powerful. Her beauty was undeniable, but the strength she conveyed was even more impressive. She was wearing a leather chest-plate over a black silk shirt, and leather pants had been tucked into elegant boots. If the Targaryen three-headed dragon had not been visible enough on her chest-plate, she also wore a three-headed dragon metal pin on her left shoulder. A metal chain passed around her, holding a red sash hanging behind her. Her dark brown hair was braided intricately, and a crown was resting on top of her head. Dany could only focus on one detail, however, her emerald green eyes which she knew so well by now.

At the bottom of the stairs, animals had been kneeling in front of the Queen. There were wolves and a lion. A trout. A falcon. A stag. A bush of golden roses had grown weakly among them. A golden griffin was standing beside the Queen. Two small dragons were perched on top of the throne, one black and blue, the other white and red. They were larger than Dany's, but not by much. When the Queen stood all the animals parted to let her through.

Lexa was contorting against her chest, trying to see what was going on. Dany placed a protective hand on the back of her daughter's head. The Queen walked up to them, and when Dany looked into her eyes they shifted, turning into those of a dragon, golden and with a vertical pupil. When the Queen stopped in front of her, standing taller than her, Dany was at a loss for words.

"You're so young." she noticed, and she didn't know what it had meant for her.

"I was younger still when they tried to put a crown on my head. But I will reign for many summers and winters until I am old and gray. I will leave nothing behind but a name synonymous with glory and greatness. One day, I will make a choice which will put all of Westeros against me. But I will stand strong, and they will bow to me once more."

Dany listened, but the words didn't make any sense. Against her chest, Lexa was babbling, as if she were trying to repeat what her older self had just said. The Queen's gaze suddenly shifted, from looking at her mother to over her shoulder. Dany turned around. A tent was pitched in the middle of the Throne room. An old, slightly torn Dothraki tent.

Of all the visions her mother may have told her about, this one was the one Lexa wished the most she could remember. Daenerys entered the tent. She quickly recognized the inside of it. Lexa stopped babbling against her chest. Dany only had to brush a thin curtain aside to find Drogo, seating on what had been their bed for barely a year. Lexa began to fidget as if she wanted to turn around and see for herself.

"Moon of my Life," he called out.

Dany had walked closer tentatively, a hand still resting on the back of Lexa's head.

"This is dark magic, like the magic that took you from me. Took you from me before I could even..."

Lexa was moving so much against her that Dany feared she would untie the silk wrapping them together.

"Maybe I'm dead and I just don't know it yet. Maybe I am with you in the Night Lands."

Drogo smirked.

"Or maybe I refused to enter the Night Lands without you. Maybe I told the Great Stallion to go fuck himself and came back here to wait for you."  
Dany smiled.

"That sounds like something you would do."

Drogo placed his hand on her waist, beckoning her to sit with him. She sat on her heels in front of him, Lexa between them. The little girl stopped fidgeting when her father placed a hand on her head as well, caressing her soft dark hair. Lexa laughed, to have the attention of both her parents like it had never happened before.

"Or maybe it's a dream. Your dream. My dream. I do not know."

They looked up from their daughter, their eyes meeting.

"These are questions for wise men with skinny arms."

He kept a hand on Lexa's head and took Dany's chin with his other.

"You are the Moon of my Life. That is all I know and all I need to know."

She placed a hand on his, joining their foreheads.

"And if this is a dream, I will kill the man who tries to wake me."

Dany let out a long breath. Her eyes fell on Lexa, who was looking up at them. She was smiling. Her mother was there and so was her father, it was all the little girl needed. Her eyes were sparkling happily like Dany had never seen before.

The distant scream of one of her dragons brought her back to reality. She closed her eyes, willing the tears away, but her voice still caught in her throat as she whispered:

"Until the sun rises in the west and sets in the east. Until the rivers run dry and the mountains blow in the wind like leaves."

She stood up and walked away without looking back. Instantly, Lexa began to cry against her, and throwing a tantrum, her tiny fists hitting Dany's sides and collarbones. Still, she didn't turn away, and walked out. To this day, Lexa could not picture what her father had truly looked like. She'd barely seen him then, but she knew, if she could remember this particular magic trick, at least she would be closer to the truth then anything she'd ever imagined.

Getting her brothers back had been easy after that. When they set the warlock on fire, on their mother's order, Lexa's tears dried and she began to laugh once again at the sight of those small flames growing and expanding on the man's body. Dany walked out of the House of the Undying with a dragon in each hand, and Rhaegal resting on Lexa's head, which made the little girl laugh happily even more. Jorah said nothing, he only took her back to Xaro Xhoan Daxos' house, where they took everything and left the man, with Dany's treacherous handmaiden, locked in his safe. Lexa fell asleep once again by then, and woke up, happy and rested, only when they'd already sailed out of Qarth's harbor. Dany pressed a kiss on her daughter's head and wished she'd dreamt of her father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! First, I wanted to thank a guest and Tre_Rox for leaving comments! It's good to see some familiar names coming back every time! 
> 
> Now if you thought this chapter was long, then oh boy, it's the shortest one I have! (since Lexa is a baby there isn't much she can do) And if you thought it was too short, then you are in luck, because chapter 2 is twice as long! Now, we've just faced one of the first problems I had while writing, time. Each season is supposed to take place over a year, but some arcs, and especially Dany's, never seem to exceed a month in length, unless we have a direct reference to time, say, "a fortnight", which unfortunately doesn't happen often. So if you think "a few months" in Qarth is too long, so do I, but by the end, I needed Lexa to be old enough to hold her head on her own. So yeah, time is a problem. I tried my best, kept this whole one season = one year deal but other than that I may have abused the system a bit.
> 
> Alright, anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you guys Wednesday for chapter 2! The fun has just begun!


	3. Second Year: Astapor, Yunkaï and new friends from all around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa doesn't remember Astapor or Yunkai, but others do, and she remembers their stories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Quick disclaimer: Season 3 was the introduction of Daario Naharis, and if you don't remember that far, he was actually recasted at the beginning of season 4, going from a slim guy with long blond hair and a very strange manner of speech to the good old brown hair muscular guy we know and love (or hate, whichever you prefer). I described him as a he appeared in season 4 onwards because it just made more sense. Other than that, I hope you enjoy and I'll see you at the bottom of the page for more a more formal author's note!

Lexa had celebrated her first name day on the ship going to Astapor. She could not remember it, or the ship, but her mother had told her much about it. Apparently, unlike her Dothraki brethren, Lexa loved sailing over the poisoned water. She learned how to walk on the deck of that ship, and when walking had been mastered, she began to run. Everyone was afraid, at first, but it became a familiar sight for the sailors to watch Lexa run around the main mast, with Ser Jorah in tow, trying to keep up with her.

Her name day had not been anything grandiose. They'd been stuck on the boat for a moon already, and there was still no sight of Astapor. But everyone still managed to find something to give her. She received a toy bear sculpted in wood from Jorah. She quickly took to carry the bear everywhere she went, and never dropping it as if she understood when her mother had told her it was fragile.

The Dothraki herd still under her mother's command gifted her a weapon, a small dagger the length of Lexa's short arm. It was customary for the son of a Khal to receive his first weapon on his first name day, Jorah had explained to Dany. The herd decided that, since they served a Khaleesi, gifting a weapon to her daughter would be the same. The weapon was tugged away at the bottom of Lexa's small chest, under clothes too small for her now. Kovarro also suggested Lexa should learn how to ride as quickly as possible, or else she would never become a great warrior. Dany was not worried. Her daughter would not ride a horse but a dragon, and her brothers were still too small for her to ride on.

The captain of the ship gifted her a toy as well, a small wooden horse. This one Lexa didn't enjoy as much, but Dany thanked the captain in her name all the same. Her brothers even gifted her something, as they each flew over the ship to bring a cooked fish at Lexa's feet. Lexa laughed and extended her hands to try and catch her brothers. Now that they were older, they no longer stayed near their mother or sister as much as they used to. Only Rhaegal continued to watch over Lexa carefully, only confirming their mother's earlier suspicions. Rhaegal would be Lexa's and no one else's.

The night of her name day, like every night, Dany placed Lexa on their shared bed and held her daughter close. Lexa was still playing with her bear toy, and Dany pushed away a few locks of her dark brown hair. Lexa looked at her mother then. Dany loved to spend time staring into her daughter's eyes, and on this ship with nothing but time to waste, she was glad she'd had more and more time to spend with her precious little girl. Lexa smiled like she always did. Lexa was such a happy baby, Dany wondered who she'd taken after. She thought she must have taken after Drogo, who had always been so full of life, and so excited to be alive.

"Your father would have been so proud of you," she whispered to her then. "He would have taught you how to ride a horse and hold a sword."

Lexa's eyes drooped, listening so intensely to her mother. Dany smiled and brushed her soft baby cheek with her thumb. They were becoming slimmer and slimmer by the day. She was growing, like her brothers, but unlike for them, Dany wished Lexa wouldn't grow quickly and would stay a child for as long as possible.

* * *

Lexa didn't remember Astapor. They'd stayed there for such a short amount of time that Dany almost never bothered to talk to her about Astapor. Others talked about Astapor, but they always told her the same things. They were slaves there, and Daenerys had freed them.

While her mother had gone to see the Unsullied with her own eyes, Lexa stayed on the ship with the rest of the Khalasar. It'd fallen onto Kovarro to watch over her and mostly run after her on the deck. It was as if running on the deck of a ship was Lexa's favorite activity. She didn't seem to enjoy it as much when her brothers weren't flying over her, but she would still run from one side to the deck and all the way to the other, following passing seagulls or small boast leaving the harbor. Kovarro was surprised to see her stop only once when she'd spotted from the end of the ship horses being loaded on another boat.  
When Dany and Jorah returned, they were accompanied by another man, an old knight with a sword at his belt. He introduced himself as Ser Barristan Selmy, former Kingsguard and now newly appointed Queensguard to Daenerys. Lexa, of course, barely noticed her mother's new adviser. Her mom had been gone all day and she only had eyes for her. She rushed up to Dany and hugged her legs because she was too small to hug anything else.

"Mama!"

Dany smiled and picked her up. Her daughter was becoming a bit too big for her to carry her. She cursed her own parents who'd made her so small that she could now barely carry her daughter. Ser Barristan was shocked to see the little girl. He bowed deeply as Lexa stared at him. She'd never met anyone older than Jorah, but she'd assumed if Jorah was like her uncle then this new companion must have been like an uncle too.

"Ser Barristan, this is my daughter, Princess Alexandria Targaryen."

"I had heard words in King's Landing, but I would have never guessed..."

Lexa continued to seize the man up, but she decided he was a nice man. So she extended a hand to place it on Barristan's chest. Her tiny fist rested on the leather of his armor for a few seconds while everyone around her was deadly silent, either wondering what the little Princess was up to or suddenly feeling all the gravity in this child, how the smile was a facade for something deeper, more thoughtful which Lexa herself had yet to realize she possessed.

Finally, she fidgeted out of her mother's grasp and began to walk around the ship once more, as if nothing had happened.

* * *

Lexa did not remember how or when Missandei had joined them, but Missandei remembered, and she had told her often. Daenerys freed her from Krasnyz and brought her back to her ship. As usual, Lexa was running around the deck, tiering Kovarro behind her. When she saw her mother walking onto the plank and climbing aboard, it didn't matter whether she was talking or who she was with. Lexa ran up to her and once again collided with her mother's leg in a hug.

"Mama!"

Dany stopped talking to Missandei and smiled, before picking Lexa up with a barely disguised huff. The former slave watched her do with surprise, not expecting to find the powerful Queen of Westeros to bring a child along with her on her conquest.

Dany turned to Kovarro who was standing in front of them, making sure the little girl didn't stumble on her way to her mother.

"How was she today?" she asked.

"As usual, Khaleesi. If she had a horse none of us would have been able to keep up."

Her Dothraki herd had taken to say that nothing could make Lexa stop moving. She went wherever she wanted, did whatever she wanted to, and only her mother could stop her. She was an untamed horse, and besides her mother, no one would ever be able to tame her. Lexa wondered what they would think now if she told them only a Storm could tame her.

Dany took her to their cabin, asking Missandei to follow her and leaving Jorah and Barristan behind. She closed the door to her cabin behind the former slave and left Lexa down. The little girl ran quickly to the toys she left in a corner, sat down, and began playing. Missandei watched her do with a small smile. Dany walked around the room, where a small table with two chairs was placed. She sat down in one of the chairs and had indicated the other to Missandei.

"Sit, please."

Missandei obeyed with a nod and took the opposite chair. She was still visibly uncomfortable, her eyes never quite looking at Dany's face and her hands folded in her lap.

"You don't belong to Master Kraznyz anymore, but you don't belong to me either. You're free. If you want to leave you can. I'll give you enough supplies to go wherever you want to."

Missandei finally dared to look up and found Dany did not seem angry, but rather relieved to finally see her come out of her shell.

"I have nowhere else to be, Your Grace."

"Good. From now on, I'll pay you for your work. You'll be my translator as well as my handmaiden. You'll take care of Lexa as well, if I ask you to, and teach her how to speak other languages when she's older."

Missandei had managed a nervous smile.

"It would be an honor, Your Grace."

"Good. First, we need to find you a more suitable dress."

Dany looked behind Missandei, toward Lexa.

"Lexa? Come here my darling."

Lexa looked at her mother and stood up, before running all the way to them. She used her mother's thigh to balance herself, placing both her arms on it and resting her head in her hands. Missandei thought Lexa was so full of energy it was easier for her to move around than to stand still.

"Lexa, this is Missandei. She'll be taking care of you sometimes when I have important things to do."

Lexa nodded and looked at her mother's new handmaiden.

"Miss-andei." she repeated dutifully.

Missandei and Dany both smiled.

"I'm Lexa." she then declared.

"Lexa?" Missandei repeated. She was questioning whether it was appropriate to call the daughter of a Queen as such.

"Princess Alexandria," Dany explained. "But everyone calls her Lexa."

Missandei nodded, before looking at the little girl. She was staring back with the brightest emerald eyes Missandei had ever seen, obviously fascinated to meet someone new.

"Lexa, stay with Missandei while I go find ser Jorah, alright?"

Lexa nodded and stepped aside when her mother stood up. Dany then looked at the former slave.

"I'll send for a tailor, so you can be more properly dressed as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Your Grace."

Dany exited the room, leaving Lexa and Missandei alone. Quickly, the little girl took Missandei's hand and dragged her to her toy chest.

"Come, there my toys!" she said happily.

Missandei let herself be carried off by the little girl. Lexa sat down where she'd been playing before, and Missandei sat beside her, her legs under her. Lexa picked up a wooden bear and handed it to Missandei.

"Jorah is a bear," Lexa explained.

Missandei picked up that one of the knights traveling with the Queen was named Jorah. He was the one who'd accompanied her to the Unsullied presentation.

"And a horse, like Father."

Missandei placed the bear back on the ground and took the horse in her hand. She noticed Lexa had two other horses figures in front of her, but this one was the biggest one.

"Your Father is a horse?"

Lexa nodded.

"Like the others on the ship. Doth... Dothraki?"

Missandei had smiled.

"Yes, Dothraki. Do you speak Dothraki?"

Lexa shook her head.

"The others, they speak and I understand. I don't speak it."

"I could teach you one day."

Lexa beamed at her and picked up her last toy on the ground, a wooden dragon. She gave it to Missandei as she placed the larger horse back on the ground.

"Like Mama and my brothers."

Missandei nodded. The rumors and stories of the Mother of Dragons preceded her arrival to Astapor.

"Are you a dragon too?"

Lexa shrugged.

"Don't know. The other they call me..."

She focused for a second, her brows furrowing as she tried to recall how to say the word.

"Stallion. They say I'm a stallion. But mama she says I'm a dragon. I like dragons."

Missandei smiled and placed the wooden figure back with the others. Lexa continued to stare at her, then she asked:

"What's your animal?"

Missandei frowned.

"What animal am I?"

Lexa nodded.

"Mama says animals are important. They protect."

Missandei still couldn't find the right answer to the question, so Lexa decided for her:

"You can be a dragon too. Dragons protect everyone," she added with a smile.

Missandei smiled back.

"I'm sure they do."

* * *

Lexa had been ordered to stay near Kovarro while they headed to the plaza where all of her mother's army was waiting for them. She was dressed for the occasion too, with brown pants and a blue shirt. She would have looked like a smaller version of her mother, if not for their different hair color. She looked warily around her, at all those people who exploited other humans to become rich.

Her mother had explained to her the previous night what was going to happen today. She would acquire an army, but free them if she could, because owning people was wrong. Lexa had been slightly afraid to come, afraid she would become a slave too. Dany had hugged her and told her dragons are not slaves, and no one would ever put a collar around her neck. Lexa had put on her strong face, but it was hard to do and even harder to keep it up when she heard Drogon whining in his cage.

She resisted for as long as she could when her mother gave Drogon to the bad man, but she cried nonetheless, big tears rolling down her cheeks. Beside her, Kovarro rubbed her back and tried to comfort her. She watched as her mother turned toward her army. Their eyes met, but Daenerys' eyes were icy and stone-like, emotionless. Inside, however, she felt her heart break to see her daughter crying, and had to fight the urge to run up to her.

"Unsullied! Forward march!"

As the army took their first few step in the clanging mess of metal and heavy steps on sand, Lexa could see Jorah, Barristan, and Missandei looking surprised at their Queen. The bad man was still struggling with Drogon.

"Halt."

The army stopped. Drogon continued to struggle against his chains.

"Tell the bitch her beast won't come!" the slaver shouted.

Her mother turned around then, fury dancing in her eyes.

"A dragon is not a slave," she replied in Valyrian.

The bad man was in shock, and Lexa stopped crying, smirking instead. Of course, she knew her mother spoke Valyrian. Dany used it to talk to her brothers. She'd told her it was the language of dragons, and one day she would teach it to her as well.

"You speak Valyrian?"

"I am Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, of the blood of the Old Valyria. Valyrian is my mother tongue."

Lexa saw the fear engulfing the bad man's entire body, as he continued to pull on Drogon's chains, now with both hands. Her mother turned back to her army.  
"Unsullied! Slay the Masters! Slay the soldiers! Slay every man who holds a whip! But harm no children."

The bad man shrieked then, screamed for someone to kill Daenerys. Kovarro instinctively placed himself in front of Lexa, shielding her from the Unsullied. Daenerys turned to the master one last time and declared:

"Dracarys."

Drogon obeyed, and Lexa smiled, as her brother, now free, began to burn everything in his path. The Unsullied quickly went to work, killing all the bad people like her mother had told them.

Lexa stayed protected during the entire sack, stuck between Jorah, Barristan, and Kovarro even though she wanted to see what was going on. When the Unsullied took their place back in position, her mother spoke to them in Valyrian. Lexa stood beside Missandei. Though she could not understand what her mother was saying, she understood that the Unsullied liked it, because they quickly began to bang their spears on the ground.

They left Astapor a few days later. Lexa was riding a horse for the first time then. Even though it was just in front of her mother and not on her own horse, she already felt extremely proud. She held onto the whip the now dead man had given to Dany until her mother asked for it. She then watched and smiled as her mother threw it on the ground. Her brothers were flying over them, and her mother's army was walking behind them. At that moment, Lexa believed nothing could ever stop them.

* * *

Lexa had been playing by the water when she'd met Grey Worm for the first time. She'd always called him Grey Worm, because Torgo Nudho had been a bit too hard for an almost two years old to say, and since then she'd never tried again, not even after she'd master Valyrian.

Her mother was watching over her as she played in the water. Dany told her to not step in it and be careful, or the current would take her away. Lexa had been extra careful, but she still dipped her hands and her feet in it. Her little leather boots were soaked but she didn't care. It was such a hot day the only reason Lexa didn't sleep through all of was because she was still afraid of falling off the horse, even with her mother holding her.

Missandei had been waiting for them on the side of the road with the officers. When the news reached Dany she carried Lexa back onto the horse and had climbed behind her. They galloped through the procession following them. Lexa was still a bit afraid when the horse would go too quickly, but she wouldn't say anything. Her mother didn't seem scared, nor did the horse people, and if she was like them then she needn't be scared either.

They stopped where Missandei was waiting, and her mother helped her dismount before she walked down herself. Lexa was about to run back to the crystal clear water when she noticed her mother advancing toward the officers. Instead, she stood beside her and listened.

"These are the ones?"

"Yes, Khaleesi. The officers."

Her mother spoke to the Unsullied and they moved, leaving one standing in the center. He advanced, and took his helmet off. Lexa had watched longly. She was impressed to see such a young looking man becoming a commander. Of course, no one had even tried to explain to her what being Unsullied meant. She'd been impressed by all of them, the way the would move together and fight together. Her mother told her they were good soldiers, but Lexa thought they looked like warriors, always ready for battle, like Kovarro and the others Dothraki.

Her mother looked a bit stunned when the officers walked away, but she helped Lexa on the horse before seating behind her, as usual, and they trotted away.

* * *

Lexa did not remember Yunkai, and barely anyone ever spoke of it. It was as if taking the ancient city and freeing all of its slaves had been unimportant, nothing more than a bump on the road to Meereen.

She'd been tired when they arrived. Spending so much time on horseback without the chance to take a nap had taken its toll, and her mother let her sleep while everyone set the camp. Dany woke her up a few hours later, however, when the ambassador from Yunkai was on his way. She asked Lexa to sit beside her and listen. Lexa obeyed, sitting on the puffy cousins of the beautiful couch they carried from Astapor. Her brothers settled on the other side. Viserion took the wooden pole, keeping himself above everyone else. Drogon was resting beside their mother as she petted him. Rhaegal was sitting on the back of the couch, as close to Lexa as possible. He rubbed his head against his sister's shoulder, and Lexa would pet him quickly, trying not to look too distracted.  
A man come, carried by slaves and protected by them. Lexa frowned. Missandei introduced him, but Lexa didn't care. He approached and all three of her brothers roared, all teeth and spikes out. Lexa smirked, but her smile vanished when Missandei introduced them. She straightened her back and took a serious look.

"Noble Lord, you are in the presence of Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons, and her daughter, Princess Alexandria of House Targaryen, the Stallion that will mount the World."

Lexa never liked that title of Stallion, but her mother insisted. She didn't use it anymore, not in Westeros anyway, but her mother made sure that people knew she was Dothraki, and an important person for the Horse Lords too. She told her she would have more than one title one day, but those titles she would have to acquire for herself.

The Lord sat and Missandei gave him wine. Lexa was trying to listen, but the Lord was boring, to say the least, going on and on about how ancient and glorious his city was. Lexa was keeping a bowl of meat on her lap, playing with the lid. The sound of wood against wood punctuated the Lord's entire speech, and she could see him trying not to glare at her. Dany turned to her daughter and nodded. With a smile, she opened the bowl and picked up a piece of meat. Instantly her brothers smelled the meat. She threw it with all her strength, and they launched themselves at it, fighting over the small piece, frightening the Lord.

"Good. My Unsullied need practice, I was told to blood them early."

The Lord got angry then, though he was obviously trying to keep his cool. Lexa continued to glare at him. He talked about ships, and even though Lexa liked ships she kept quiet because it became obvious that her mother would not take the ships.

"I have a gift for you as well."

The Lord seemed intrigued, even more so when Daenerys told him what it was:

"Your life."

"My life?"

"And the lives of your wise masters. But I also want something in return. You will release every slave in Yunkai. Every man, woman, and child shall be given as much food, clothing, and property as they can carry as payment for years of servitude. Reject this gift, and I shall show you no mercy."

The man threatened their mother then, and while Lexa could only glare her brothers roared once again, closer to attacking than before.

"You swore me safe conduct."

"I did, but my dragons made no promises. And you threatened their mother."

The man tried to take his gift back, but Drogon didn't leave him. Lexa watched as the man stepped back. She wished she were a real dragon too, so she could have frightened the man even more.

"My gold. You gave it to me, remember? And I shall put it to good use. You'd be wise to do the same with my gift to you. Now get out."

Lexa barely waited for the bad man to return to his slaves to smile at her mother. She happily said:

"Can we attack now?"

Dany smiled at her and caressed her head.

"Not yet, sweetling."

"The Yunkish are a proud people," Ser Barristan said. "They will not bend."

"And what happens to things that don't bend?"

Lexa smiled.

"He said he had powerful friends. Who was he talking about?"

"I don't know."

"Find out."

* * *

Lexa had never liked waiting, and having a city under siege had never been fun. But since they no longer were constantly on the move, Lexa could finally learn things. While her mother was preparing the coming invasion and finding out who those powerful friends were, Lexa was training in all sorts of things.  
First, Kovarro taught her how to ride a horse, so she could ride on her own the next time they would move. He found a young horse for her, she was given a saddle. She still needed help to climb up on her horse and her saddle was too large for her, but she found a natural affinity for horseback rising. She named her horse Bleeding Star, because her mother told her she was born under a bleeding star, whatever that was, and Kovarro told her her horse had to be an extension of herself. Bleeding Star was old now, leaving off his old days in the Keep's stables after almost sixteen years of unwavering service. He was a dark Stallion like her father had mounted not long ago, Kovarro told her.

It became quite common around camp to find Lexa on horseback, trotting or galloping around. She quickly mastered jumping, though she almost fell multiple times because both her saddle and stirrups were not suited for her small size. Kovarro then taught her how to control her horse with one hand, so one day she would be able to fight with the other and then by voice alone. It was then she'd started to learn Dothraki for the first time, the language of horses.  
On her mother's order, she also started to take lessons with Missandei. Though they were supposed to learn Valyrian, Lexa quickly understood Missandei knew a lot more languages then it seemed. She would ask her for new words in common, some she would seldom use but had still seemed useful. Missandei also helped her with her Dothraki, to rehearse the new words Kovarro had taught her until she could pronounce them easily.

Kovarro also wanted to train her in sword fighting, but her mother refused for now. She told Kovarro it would have to wait a year or two. It was obvious Kovarro did not agree, but he obeyed and continued to train Lexa and Bleeding Star.

Lexa wasn't there when the Second Sons were invited. Her mother knew of the Titan's Bastard's reputation and did not want him to come anywhere near her daughter. Lexa was training on Bleeding Star when she saw them riding to camp. She instantly hated the man with short hair and the old one and glared at them. The young one, however, with brown hair falling to his ears and a glint in his eyes, she found interesting. He was the only one of the three to notice her and had smiled at her. She didn't smile back but noticed he carried the same weapon Kovarro had and wondered whether he was also Dothraki. He didn't look Dothraki, but perhaps he was like her, only Dothraki by his father. She saw them ride to camp, and leave less than three laps around the camp later.

* * *

Lexa had been playing in a corner of the tent while her mother had taken a bath, and Missandei had been cleaning her. Lexa had already taken a bath earlier because her mother had told her she smelled of horses and sand, but the way her mother had said it hadn't made it seem like a bad thing either. Nevertheless, Lexa's hair was still drying in the night air as she played with her wooden horses. She'd found a stone brick somewhere around camp, near the road, and had taken it with her to figure a city, while her horses, dragons, and bear attacked it together. They were on the verge of winning when her mother turned to her and asked:

"Aren't you tired, Lexa? Do you want to go to bed?"

Lexa shook her head.

"I'm fine. We're winning and we'll set the slaves free and establish a monarchy."

"Establish a monarchy?"

"Yes. Missandei taught me those words."

Dany smiled while Lexa returned to her game. Missandei picked up a sponge to pass it over the Queen's shoulders.

"I see your lessons are going great."

"They are, Your Grace. The Princess is very bright. She manages to learn Common, Valyrian, and Dothraki at the same time, which is quite impressive."

This made Dany ponder for a second. She knew Missandei spoke plenty of languages, but she never bothered to ask how many.

"Tell me, how many languages do you speak?"

"Nineteen, Your Grace."

Dany was stunned. Lexa continued to play.

"Nineteen?"

"Yes, Your Grace."

"How can anyone speak nineteen languages?"

"It only took Your Grace a year to learn Dothraki reasonably well."

"Yes, well, it was either learn Dothraki or grunt at my husband and hope..."

She'd stopped, confused. Lexa looked up at the mention of her father, waiting for her mother to finish her sentence.

"What do you mean, reasonably well?"

Missandei seemed embarrassed for a few seconds as she tried to explain herself:

"Dothraki is difficult for the mouth to master. So guttural and harsh."

Her mother switched to Dothraki then, and Lexa not only perfectly understood what she said, but she actually knew how to pronounce some of those words. When she stopped, Missandei had to correct her.

"Athjahakar."

Dany repeated with a frown, but she wasn't there yet so Missandei helped her. Lexa repeated as well, perfectly saying it on her first try and impressing her mother at the same time.

"Well, I suppose I'm a bit out of practice."

"Your High Valyrian is very good, Your Grace," Missandei declared then. "The gods could not devise a more perfect tongue. It is the only proper language for poetry."

Dany closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of the water for a moment when Missandei suddenly gasped. Both mother and daughter looked up, only to find an Unsullied with a knife under Missandei's throat, and a hand on her mouth.

"No screaming or she dies."

Lexa stood up and the man took his helmet off, revealing the man who'd smiled at her earlier in the day, the man from the Second Sons.

"What do you want?"

"You."

"Let her go."

"Don't scream, lovely girl."

As soon as he released Missandei, she quickly walked around the basin to hide behind the Queen. Lexa's rage was boiling in her. She acted before she could even think about stopping herself. She ran up to the man and punched his thigh with all her strength.

"Lexa, don't!" her mother tried to stop her, but it was too late.

Lexa's fist connected with Daario's leg, and never in her life had she wished more than now she was holding a weapon. Daario smiled, genuinely, and with a bump of his leg he pushed her back and she landed on her butt, fire still burning in her eyes.

"You should be proud of your daughter," he said. "She's a brave little girl, trying to defend her mother."

"You were sent here to kill me?" Dany asked.

A cold feeling invaded Lexa's body for the first time in her life. She didn't know what it was, but she wanted to get rid of it quickly. She stood up and ran to stand beside her mother. Daario nodded.

"So why haven't you?"

"I don't want to."

"What do your captains have to say about that?"

"You should ask them."

He pulled his bag over his head and Lexa watched as two heads rolled on the floor. Missandei gasped behind her, horrified. The cold feeling in Lexa was replaced at the sight of the two men she'd hated at first sight. It turned into a pleasing fire, to see that only heads were left of them.

"Why?"

"We had philosophical differences."

"Over what?"

"Your beauty."

Dany seemed confused.

"It meant more to me than it did to them."

"You're a strange man."

"I'm the simplest man you'll ever meet. I only do what I want to do."

"And this is supposed to impress me?"

"Yes."

Lexa stopped staring at the heads to look once again at Daario Naharis. She finally noticed the weapons hanging against his legs, and the shape of their hilts, beautiful but very naked women. Lexa felt her cheeks growing hotter and tried to look somewhere else.

"Why would I trust a man who murders his comrades?"

"They ordered me to murder you. I told them I preferred not to. They told me I had no choice. I told them I am Daario Naharis. I always have a choice. They drew their swords and I drew mine."

Lexa looked once again at Daario. He seemed proud of his fighting prowess. Lexa knew then and there that when her mother would allow her to learn how to fight, she would ask for someone like Daario Naharis to teach her. Or even Daario himself, if her mother didn't send him to the chopping block before that.  
Lexa watched as her mother emerged from her bath, her eyes never once leaving Daario's face, and Daario never looking at anything but her eyes. Once Missandei gave her her bathrobe and Dany was once again decent, she asked:

"Will you fight for me?"

Daario nodded, but it wasn't enough. The Queen took a few steps closer.

"Swear to me."

Daario took his weapon out and kneeled in front of Daenerys.

"The Second Sons are yours and so is Daario Naharis. My sword is yours, my life is yours, my heart is yours."

* * *

Lexa should have been asleep when Jorah, Grey Worm, and Daario entered Yunkai, but she couldn't find sleep, not until she was sure they'd returned. Adrenaline was pumping through her body as she exited the tent she'd shared with her mother and ran to the main tent, where Dany, Barristan, and Missandei were waiting. Dany wasn't happy to see her up so late, but she said nothing and let her sit on the couch with her as they waited.

Of course, when they'd finally returned, victorious, Lexa found it hard to sleep as well, the adrenaline from the victory raking through her body. She'd slept very little that night, and her eyes were drooping as they waited outside Yunkai the next day. She would yawn every few minutes, and the heavy clouds hiding the sunlight above them didn't help, making her want to lay on the rock and fall asleep. Her brothers were also fidgeting in front of her, expecting something to happen. At one point Lexa sat down at her mother's feet and Rhaegal came to be petted. They waited a long moment like so, with Lexa scratching her brother's scales as they waited for something, anything.

Finally, the door opened, and thousands upon thousands of slaves walked toward them. Lexa stood up. She had been such a small child that she'd barely arrived at Jorah's waist. She had to climb up next to her mother to see better. When the slaves stopped as close as possible, kept away by the Unsullied, Missandei spoke to them. Lexa understood only half of the things she said, and when her mother spoke in turn, she understood even less. But suddenly the former slaves started shouting:

"Mhysa!"

It quickly turned into a chant, and Lexa frowned. She turned to Missandei as her mother asked the same question hanging on her lips:

"What does it mean?"

Missandei seemed just as confused as them, but for another reason.

"It's old Ghiscari, Khaleesi. It means 'mother'."

The former slaves tried to move closer, but the Unsullied took a fighting stance.

"It's all right. These people won't hurt me."

She walked down and kneeled beside her sons. She told them to fly, Lexa knew, and her brothers obeyed. Then, she walked toward the crowd. She asked Grey Word to let her through and he obeyed, though hesitantly. Lexa watched as slowly but surely her mother disappeared into the crowd, as they continued to call her mother. Then, they carried her over their shoulders. Lexa had no idea what she was supposed to do. Should she join her mother or wait? Her mother seemed so far now, but so happy too, and Lexa couldn't really understand why. She'd been too young to understand. So she only frowned and waited on the rock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi guys! First I wanted to thank x_hoffe_x and Tre_rox for leaving a comment! x_hoffe_x you have absolutely made my day because this was my intention all along! I wanted to write a story that would be so good that it would make people not only watch the show differently but also imagine Lexa there when they watched it! It was actually how I got the idea in the first place. I was rewatching season 4 when I imagined what if Lexa had been there all along. I admit now I suffer from the same problem. There are some scenes that I cannot watch without seeing Lexa, one in particular but you'll see which one I mean soon enough.
> 
> Tre_rox, I really hope I won't let you down, and I don't want to hype you more than necessary but yeah, be excited, because it's going to be awesome and this is just the beginning!
> 
> I also couldn't help but notice that a few of you decided to read "The Green Dragon", I assumed you'd never read it before. First, thank you, it's always a pleasure to see people who not only enjoy my stories but want to read more. I really hope you enjoyed it, hope it also made the prologue a bit more clear.
> 
> Now, I tried to show how Lexa was aging through the chapter so you can imagine more than a few months has gone between their arrival in Astapor and their taking of Yunkai. In the show, Dany mentions how "a year ago" she didn't have dragons and "a fortnight ago" she didn't have an army (she says so to the Titan's Bastard if my memory serves me right) so I was once again very lose with the timeline here. Don't blame me, I just want Lexa to be old enough to do some interesting stuff!
> 
> Also, fun fact, Missandei is a butterfly. Naath is very well known for the beautiful butterfly inhabiting the island. The next time you watch an episode, pay close attention to the credit, and you'll see a butterfly next to the name of the actress playing Missandei, Nathalie Emmanuel. So here you go, your fun fact of the day! Tell me if you want more fun facts, I have actually accumulated quite a few of them researching for this story!
> 
> On that note, after the longest author's note ever (sorry not sorry) I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you on Friday with chapter 3!


	4. Third Year: Meereen, Responsibilities, and Betrayals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa remembers Meereen, how they got there and how she always hated this city.

Lexa's second name-day had been celebrated in Yunkai, just before they left for Meereen. Like the first one it had not been anything grand, but this year they were more people to give her gifts. Her brothers brought her a whole sheep this year, though Dany didn't wish to know where they'd found it. Her mother gave her a new outfit, which was still a bit too big for her. It was a leather chest-plate, with the Targaryen dragons on it. She explained to Lexa that it was for when she would be old enough to learn how to fight. After that day Lexa would stare at the outfit every chance she had, wishing it finally fitted her.

Jorah gave her another wooden figurine for her collection, a wolf. Lexa didn't know what to do with it when she played. Was the wolf there to help or fight against her army? She had no idea. Barristan gave her a wooden figurine too, that of a knight on his horse. Lexa didn't know whether the old man had sculpted it himself, but it was very detailed, enough to tell that the knight had dragons on his chest and dragon wings on his helmet.

Missandei, though she never had much, managed to find some scrolls, ink and a few beautiful feathers. She explained to Lexa it was important she knew how to read and write too, and they would find someone to teach her soon, so she had to be ready. While the Unsullied had nothing to give except their protection and support, Daario Naharis had a present for her, too. Dany looked at the package with a suspicious look. Inside, there was a small dagger, with the hilt shaped like a roaring dragon. Daario declared with a smile that it was to make sure that the next time someone walked into her mother's tent uninvited, Lexa could protect her. The dagger, like the one she'd received on her previous birthday, was tugged away in Lexa's ever-expanding chest. Lexa complained, but her mother told her she had no need for a weapon since they were always well guarded. Lexa stopped asking quickly.

The road to Meereen was even hotter and uncomfortable than the road between Astapor and Yunkai. Lexa was glad she had her own horse then, and Bleeding Star was a worthy companion, never failing her once. Lexa felt proud, riding on her own horse at the head of the convoy, right behind her mother. She would smile happily as they would advance, and from time to time her mother would look behind as if to make sure Lexa was still following. Her mother's smile would be strange, tainted with a sadness Lexa did not understand then.

This long journey also gave an opportunity for Lexa to learn of Daario Naharis' exploits. He would often ride close to her, and tell her of his amazing deeds. How he'd fought off twenty men on his own, or how he'd killed a man twice his size when he was barely fifteen years older than her. Lexa thought fifteen years would be a long time, but Daario told her:

"Fifteen years is a long time for a bad fighter. But for a good warrior, it's just the beginning."

If Lexa had known of the word 'squire' then, she would have probably considered herself Daario's squire, or something akin to it. She would follow him around, wait for him to do something awesome – which rarely happened on the road, except when he would train. Then, Lexa would be watching closely. On one morning, she woke up to find Daario was not taking his breakfast with the Second Sons or talking with the Unsullied. One of his lieutenants had directed her toward the hill where most of the people following them had slept. She followed the road, all the people stepping out of her way and bowing as she passed. People had begun to call her "The Fourth Dragon" or the "Dragon Child". Just like the mantle of Stallion she'd shrugged those names off.

She found Daario and Grey Worm, seating opposite each other, their weapons flat on their hands. She sat down beside them and asked:

"What are you doing?"

"We're playing, Little Dragon."

That had been Daario's nickname for her, Little Dragon, and she had hated it more than any other because it remained her that she'd always been small for her age, up until she'd reached her fourteenth name-day.

"What kind of a game is that?"

Daari smirked, his eyes never leaving Grey Worm's as he explained:

"It's a game of will, Little Dragon. The first to drop his sword loses."

It didn't seem like a hard game, and Lexa would have played if she had a sword. Instead, she sat on the grass and watched them. It became boring rather quickly and she started picking grass, tearing it out of the dirt. Her brothers' roar echoed in the valley. They were so big, and Lexa was rather jealous that her brothers could grow so big and she had to stay so small. Rhaegal's wings could drape her entirely, like a blanket.

Some time later her mother and Missandei arrived.

"How long have they been up to it?"

"Since midnight, Your Grace."

Dany glanced at her daughter. Lexa proudly straightened her back when her mother arrived, but it didn't make the look of boredom disappear from her face.  
"Sir Worm is stronger than he looks, but I can see his arms are beginning to shake!" Daario declared.

"What's the price for winning this stupid contest?"

"The honor of riding by your side on the road to Meereen."

"That honor goes to Sir Jorah and Sir Barristan as neither kept me waiting this morning. You two will ride in the rear guard and protect the livestock."

A single glance from her mother was enough for Lexa to stand up and brush her pants. She took a few steps away when Daenerys turned back to the two men and declared:

"The last man holding his sword can find a new Queen to fight for."

Lexa had never seen a man drop his weapon quicker than then. She looked up to her mother as they walked away and declared:

"I still don't understand what kind of a game this was."

Dany smiled down at her and explained:

"Men always feel the need to know who's the strongest among them, who's the fastest, who's the smartest. They don't know anything about strength, they just think they do."

Lexa listened attentively to every word her mother said. It hadn't made much sense but it had felt important, far more so than Daario's stupid game of sword holding.

* * *

Lexa remembered Meereen. First like a blur, a place she couldn't quite pinpoint. Then, her brain had started working properly, and she'd been old enough to remember things more keenly. Meereen became a white city with extravagant pyramids rising from the dirt. Lexa's first memory of Meereen, however, had not been a good one.

She was riding in the front with Ser Jorah and Ser Barristan. Her mother and Missandei had stopped a bit earlier but had promised to join them back quickly. Lexa didn't mind much. Her two favorite knights were telling her about the siege of Pyke, a story they liked to share with her because since both had been there they could both share the story. Lexa had no idea where Pyke or the Iron Islands were, and who the Greyjoys were, but she liked the story anyway.  
Ser Barristan was telling her about her favorite part, the moment when everyone had charged on the beach, and destroyed the Islanders like a large wave when he suddenly stopped. He was looking over the horizon, and so was Jorah. They both stopped, ordering the Unsullied to stop as well, and Lexa frowned at the horizon. There was something on the side of the road, though between her heat making the air dance in front of her eyes and the sunlight shining on her, she had no idea what it was. They left there horses on a small slop on the side and proceeded carefully, Lexa staying close to Jorah. When both men finally understood what it was, Jorah turned around and kneeled in front of Lexa.

"Don't look, Princess. Turn around and return to the horses."

"What is it?"

"Don't look! Go! Now!"

Lexa frowned. What could have been so terrible that she could not watch? She'd seen men died before, seen her dragon brothers tear animal bodies to pieces like it was nothing. None of this things had been so terrible.

Before Lexa could walk away her mother and Missandei arrived. Lexa placed herself behind her mother.

She dared a glance at the thing that was so horrible. It was a little girl, hanging from a post, her skin gray and dead, her hands and feet nailed to the wood. Lexa wanted to look away and cry, but she found she could not.

"There's one on every mile marker between here and Meereen."

"How many miles are there between here and Meereen?"

"163, Your Grace."

Missandei placed both hands on Lexa's shoulder and pulled her away. Lexa finally stopped staring and found her eyes watering quickly. She didn't want to cry, she wanted to look brave. But once her mother gave her order and she took her in her arms, reassuring her something like this would never happen to her, Lexa began to sob in her mother's shoulder.

* * *

Lexa was riding alongside her mother when they first saw the walls of Meereen. The Unsullied took formation there, but they stopped ahead of them, close enough to the walls to be heard and seen but far enough that no arrow could graze them. Lexa slid off her horse and looked up at the city. There were many people standing there, watching them from above. She could not even see there faces. But her mother seemed to be able to, seemed to easily make the difference between the masters and the slaves.

The doors opened, and a single rider passed through. A champion of Meereen, Ser Jorah explained. The rider stopped, and they all looked at him while he shouted and pissed on the ground. Missandei glanced one last time at Lexa and hesitantly translated the crude insults the man had declared. Lexa really wanted him to shut up, and when her mother asked for a champion, she would have been the first to propose herself, if not for the fact that she still didn't know how to swing a sword.

Daario Naharis was chosen, and Lexa watched attentively. She'd never seen him fight for real before. Her mother wanted to give him a horse, but he refused. Lexa wondered why, because Kovarro had taught her horses were man's most trusted ally in combat. They never failed. Instead, she watched as Daario took his dagger and sent it straight into the horse's eye. Its painful whines broke Lexa's heart. It fell to the ground and sent its rider tumbling straight into Daario's sword. The man was dead before he even got up from his initial fall. Lexa was speechless.

Arrows had flown toward them and while Lexa took a step back, Daario didn't move and pissed in front of the city. Finally, her mother addressed all the slaves in the city, and the catapults they'd taken from Yunkai were brought forward. Lexa was wondering what they would launch from those catapults, and when she saw collars by the dozens bursting out of the barrels she didn't understand. Why use a weapon to send things that couldn't hurt people, she asked her mother later into the evening. Her mother explained she'd sent ideas. She'd shown the slaves she'd taken collars off people before, and she would do it again. Lexa didn't really understand all those matters of strategies but she trusted her mom.

* * *

Lexa fell asleep before Grey Worm had to leave to infiltrate Meereen. She'd been taking classes with Missandei, who was teaching the common tongue to Grey Worm, and High – and sometimes Low - Valyrian to the Princess. Most of the time, however, Lexa would fall asleep during their lessons, leaving the two adults to continue without her.

Lexa had fallen asleep in Grey Worm's tent, taking a nap before the sun dipped over the horizon. Her riding lessons had left her exhausted. She woke up briefly for dinner, but Grey Worm and his team were already gone by then. She went to sleep with difficulty, nervously waiting for a word from her friend. The nap she'd taken so close to sleeping time didn't help either. She woke up to find her mother's bunk already empty, and Ser Barristan guarding the entrance of the tent. She was still wearing her nightshirt when she walked out, squinting and rubbing her sleepy eyes now faced with the morning sun. Ser Barristan smiled at her.

"Good Morning Princess."

Lexa looked around and saw the Unsullied running toward the city, some Second Sons beside them.

"What is going on?" she asked sleepily.

"The slaves of Meereen have taken their freedom, Princess. The Unsullied are going to secure the city before we march in."

Her eyes suddenly opened up and a smile blossomed on her lips. She didn't feel tired anymore, rather, adrenaline started to spread through her body.

"Grey Worm did it?"

Barristan chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"Yes, Princess. He and his men have returned to put on their armor. You should get dressed too, your mother is waiting for you."

Lexa nodded and darted back inside.

She emerged once dressed and ran to the main tent, Barristan following her. The main tent was just a few feet away and he could see her darting her inside already. Inside, Lexa found everyone already up and discussing how best to secure the city. All eyes went to her when she darted inside, and Jorah stopped talking about going through the pyramids.

"We've won?" Lexa asked excitedly.

Dany smiled and took her daughter in her arms. It became harder and harder with each passing days, but until her arms would fall off her shoulders Dany would never stop trying to carry her daughter.

"Yes, my sweetling, we've won. Would you like to eat before we walk inside the city?"

Lexa nodded and her mother let her down. Missandei gave her a plate with fruits and slices of bread placed on it, and Lexa sat crossed-legged in a corner while her mother and her advisors continued to discuss how to better secure the city.

* * *

Lexa had been holding her mother's hand as they'd made their way through the city, all the slaves shouting 'Mhysa' once again. She was slightly afraid of the crowd, afraid of being swallowed whole and never find her mother again in this mess, so she held on as tightly as she could. They climbed and climbed until they reached a balcony where Missandei and Daario were already waiting for them. The slaves were still chanting, but as she followed her mother to the edge of the balcony, she saw the former masters. They looked angry, some even openly glaring at her mother, but most were afraid.

Lexa straightened her back, trying to look as tall as she could. She wished she'd been carrying a weapon so she could rest one of her hand on the hilt of it like Jorah and Barristan did. Instead, she folded her hands in front of her and looked around. Beside her, her mother asked:

"Remind me, Ser Jorah, how many children did the Great Masters nail to mileposts?"

"163, Khaleesi."

"Yes, that was it."

She looked toward Grey Worm, who nodded. The Unsullied started to push the former masters away. Lexa frowned, wondering what was going to happen to them. Were they going to be imprisoned? They deserved it, Lexa thought.

Dany placed a hand on Lexa's shoulder, about to pull her away from the balcony, but Ser Barristan asked:

"You Grace, may I have a word?"

Dany let go of Lexa so she could follow Jorah toward the Great Pyramid. She didn't hear much of the conversation, only her mother declaring loudly:

"I will answer injustice with justice."

She walked away to take Lexa's hand once again.

* * *

Lexa had only found out later what had happened to the former masters. However, she heard their screams following her all day, no matter where she was in the Great Pyramid. For the entire day, their screams were the only thing she heard, echoing around the walls of the Great Pyramid. Her mother told her to go explore, but instead, her exploration turned into a quest to hide from the horrible sounds rising from the city. She failed. By the time the sun had fallen, the screams had mostly stopped. Lexa barely ate at dinner, which her mother instantly noticed. Lexa just shrugged and waited until her mother dismissed her.  
She struggled to fall asleep and woke up in the middle of the night, excruciating screams still echoing in her mind. They followed her into her dreams, and she could imagine their faces twisting with pain and fear every time she closed her eyes. After a while, she left her bed, left her bedroom altogether and went knocking at her mother's bedroom door. She didn't hear anything from the inside so she just walked in.

Dany was asleep in the biggest bed in the Pyramid. Lexa thought the bed would have been easily big enough for the two of them, but her mother told her she was old enough to have her own room now. Lexa shook her mother's arm, and Dany groaned and struggled to open her eyes.

"Lexa? What are you doing here?"

"I had a nightmare..." Lexa confessed, her eyes averting her mother's.

Dany smiled and sat up, taking her daughter in her arms and making her sit on her lap so she could hold her.

"It's okay. You're safe here, nothing is going to harm you as long as we're here."

Lexa tried to hold a sob in, but now that she knew she was in the safest place in this world, her mother's arms, she couldn't hold her tears any longer.

"Sshh, it's okay..." Dany tried to reassure her. "What was this nightmare about?"

Lexa struggled to find her words, fat tears running down her cheeks like waterfalls.

"The masters... they were screaming..."

Dany continued to try and soothe her, rubbing her back and holding her close.

"It's okay. They've paid for what they've done. All those children we've seen on the way here, do you remember? I've avenged them. Now everything is going to be fine. They deserved it, they were bad people."

As she continued to explain herself, Lexa slowly but surely stopped crying, before falling asleep in her arms. She placed a kiss on top of her head and laid her on the pillow beside hers. Lexa shifted, bringing her knees to her chest but not waking up. Dany laid back beside her, and with a smile, she pushed a lock of hair away from her face, just like she'd done when Lexa had been just a little baby. She held her daughter close as she fell asleep once again.

* * *

Lexa had learned how to read and write in Meereen, while her mother had decided to stay and rule. She didn't need riding lessons anymore, but Dany still wouldn't let her learn how to fight with a sword. Instead, she decided if she had to rule then Lexa would learn to rule with her. The younger the better. That way Lexa would be ready when her mother would pass away. When her mother told her so she'd hoped it wouldn't happen before a few decades had passed. If only she knew she only had six years left with her mother by her side then, maybe she wouldn't have wasted them so much.

Lexa quickly realized writing was harder than reading. She also realized she had an advantage over other children. She could speak multiple languages. When she didn't remember how to spell a word in common, she would write it in Valyrian, and vice versa. Of course, it had amused everyone greatly when she'd first come up with the strategy. They'd all said she was very clever, but real life didn't work that way, where you could substitute one thing for another.

Her mother would have her sit through the council meetings, but not at the main table. Instead, she would sit in a corner and listen, or at least try to listen. She never was a very focused child, and people talking about things she didn't care about bothered her greatly. Of course, when she was almost three, no one cared whether she was really listening. Nowadays it would have been impossible to just pretend. She would sit through the petitions too, sometimes, but she found it even more boring. At first, she had a little chair on the side for her, but when she noticed Missandei, Jorah, Barristan, Grey Worm and all of the Unsullied spent the day standing, she decided to do the same. Jorah mocked her playfully, saying she could never spend the day standing because her little legs would tire. She spent all the petitions since then standing, and never once asked for a chair, just to spite him and prove he was wrong.

Now that they'd settled in Meereen, her brothers had become shadows, barely coming home from time to time. Sometimes, news of their spotting would reach them through someone who came to petitions. Goat herders losing their flocks to her brothers' appetite, or a bag full of fishes stolen from a fisherman by one of the dragons. As time went on Dany found herself fixing her children's mistakes more and more. Lexa would only be happy to receive news of her brothers' whereabouts.

Viserion and Rhaegal were the ones who returned home the most often. Drogon could spend months without showing up again, but Viserion would return every few weeks and stay a few days, mostly because he missed his mother. Rhaegal came by at least once a week, just to make sure Lexa was alright. He would always find her, no matter where she was in the Pyramid, he would dig his claws in the stone and pass his head through the nearest window, roaring until Lexa would notice him. She would smile at him and drop whatever she was doing, usually training herself how to write, and run to the private gardens at the back of the pyramid, where Rhaegal would be waiting for her.

Her brother had become so tall he had to bend his neck so she could pet his muzzle. He was always extremely affectionate with her, never once harming her, not even when he was extremely excited to see her and would nuzzle into her with such strength that she would fall on the stone pavement. They were so happy to see each other that Lexa would spend the rest of the day with him, instead of attending to her Princess duties. Dany knew if Lexa was late for the petitions or a council meeting Rhaegal was probably back from his hunt, and Lexa would not show up at all.

Her mother once told her one day she would be able to ride Rhaegal, but they were both been too small at the time. Now Lexa was old enough to have her own horse, but she had no idea whether Rhaegal was big enough to carry her. However, she learned how to climb on top of him. Rhaegal would take naps under the trees in the garden, and Lexa wound climb on his back and study, or nap too. Sometimes Dany would find them there, once a meeting was over. She wished things would never change then, that Rhaegal and Lexa could always spend there afternoon sleeping under a tree rather than have to fight and learn and rule.

Things changed quickly after that. First, Jorah left. At least, it was what Lexa thought, at first. She was in the gardens with Rhaegal. She started counting the days between Viserion's visits and knew her golden brother would return soon. She was staring at the horizon, waiting for a sign of something glowing under the sun. She wondered where everyone was, too, since it was not a petition day and the council meeting had taken place two days ago. She also wondered when Daario would come back. He'd been gone for a while and she wanted him back before her name-day, so he could start training her as soon as she would turn three.

After staring at the horizon for too long, she noticed a single rider leaving the city. She had to squint her eyes, but she quickly realized it was ser Jorah, leaving on his own. She frowned. Why would he go on his own? He didn't even come to say goodbye. She left Rhaegal in the garden and quickly ran through the pyramid until she found someone who could explain the situation.

She ran into ser Barristan on her way to the throne room. His face was somber, she remembered.

"Ser Barristan, why is Jorah leaving?"

"Your mother wants to speak with you Princess," he only declared. "She'll explain everything."

Lexa nodded and followed Barristan to the council room. Her mother was seated in one of the chairs, staring at the wood of the table. She looked up when Lexa climbed up the stairs. Ser Barristan stayed outside.

"Where is Jorah going? Is he coming back soon?" she asked.

Dany looked out the window as if she were trying to see Jorah riding away.

"Sit down, please."

Lexa obeyed, fear slowly sipping in her body. What could be going on for everyone to be so icy?

"Ser Jorah will never come back. He betrayed me. Betrayed us. I have banished him."

Her mother's tone was cold and full of barely restrained fury like Lexa had never heard before. Even when she spoke to the former masters she didn't seem so angry.

"What?" was all Lexa could say.

"Before you were born, he'd been selling our secrets to the Usurper. He'd told them I was pregnant, and they'd sent an assassin after me, after us, before you were even born."

Lexa listened, but the words her mother were saying didn't seem to make any sense. Jorah had told the bad people in Westeros about them and they'd almost been killed? Jorah, who'd been almost like an uncle to her ever since she was born? It didn't make any sense.

"So he won't come back?"

"If he does, I'll have him executed."

Lexa nodded and stood up and left the room silently. She walked back to the gardens and sat beside Rhaegal, her back against his scaly side. She started to watch the horizon once again and hoped the confusion reigning in her mind would pass.

* * *

Lexa had known something was amiss as soon as she'd seen her mother entering the gardens. Viserion had returned earlier in the morning, and Rhaegal had been waiting for his brother's return so they could go hunt together in a few days. Daenerys seemed slightly shaken, but she hid it well. Well enough for Lexa to never grasped fully what went through her mother's mind, not until Missandei told her. And even then, she chose not to understand, and stay angry.  
A man had come with the burned remained of his little girl, killed and eaten by Drogon. A girl of three, Missandei later informed the Queen. Like Lexa was not said, but they both thought it anyway.

Dany scratched both of the dragons' muzzles before she turned toward Lexa.

"Can I have a few minutes alone with them? I haven't seen them in a long time."

Lexa found the request strange. Every time her brothers had returned and her mother had come to see them Lexa had stayed. Nevertheless, Lexa nodded and stood up. Dany took her in her arms then, which surprised her. Her mother hugged her every chance she got, but this time it felt out of place, the way Dany held her was different from usual, more desperate.

"Go, I've asked ser Barristan to help you chose a training sword."

Lexa's eyes sparkled when she looked at her mother, and Dany managed a smile.

"Really? I can train with a sword?"

"You'll start tomorrow and you'll have to be careful, but yes. Now go."

Lexa smiled back and ran through the door. She practically jumped down the stairs and was about to reach the lowest level when she suddenly heard it. Screams. Dragon screams. Echoing in a strange way, from under her feet. She stopped dead in her tracks and frowned. Where had her mother taken her brothers? She could feel something was off in her chest, rooted there like Rhaegal's claws in a piece of meat.

She turned around and ran toward the nearest door out. She ended up in another level of the garden and looked down. The heavy door to the catacombs had been opened, Unsullied keeping guard. Her brother's screams came from here.

Quickly, she dashed down the stairs. Her brother's screams turned desperate. They shook something in her and broke her all at once. Her mother was emerging from the catacombs, without even a glance back. Two Unsullied began to push the stone, to close the entrance. Lexa barely wondered why her brothers didn't fly away, instead, she ran. Her mother finally spotted her. She was crying, just like Lexa could feel tears of her own running down her cheek. Her brothers continued to scream.

"What are you doing!" Lexa shouted. "Stop! Let them out!"

Before she had a chance to come too close to the door, one of the Unsullied caught her and held her back. Lexa started to struggle, but the soldier held fast.  
"Let them go! Mom! Please! Please let them out!"

Dany looked back at the dragons before the stone slid behind her. Her brothers' screams, though still strong, became fainter and fainter as the entrance was closed. Dany started to walk away before it was fully closed.

"Mom! I'm begging you, please! They can't stay here!"

Her mother walked past her as if she didn't hear her. Lexa's entire body was shaking by sobs. Heavy tears ran down her cheeks. She watched as the darkness and the screams of her brothers were replaced by a heavy stone, far too heavy for her to move.

"Please! Let them out!"

As the entrance was almost entirely sealed, Lexa kicked the Unsullied holding her in the leg. He let go of her, but by the time she fell in front of the stone, it was too late. She could barely make out her brothers' voices through the stone. She continued to cry, her entire body trembling.

"Please! Open! They can't stay here! Let them out!"

She punched the stone with all her strength, but it wasn't enough. She looked at the Unsullied.

"I command you to open this door!"

They walked away. Lexa continued to hit the stone, and cry until her fists turned red and she didn't have any tears left. Then, she slid against the stone and sat there, waiting for someone to come. No one ever came back, beside ser Barristan, who carried her to bed once she'd fallen asleep, curled up against the stone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! First, you have the right to hate me for that last scene, I hate myself for it ever since I've written it. This is the scene that I can't watch anymore without hearing Lexa shout, the one I told you about in my last author's note. Coincidentally, it's also the scene that gave me the idea for this story. I was just rewatching season 4, and I suddenly wondered how sad it would be if Lexa was there at the time, and how she would have reacted. Well, now, I guess we know...  
> Second I wanted to thank x_hoffee_x and Tre_rox for leaving comments! Incorporating Lexa in the show is actually not that hard because I can just imagine her trying to be serious and listen, and never cut off the grown-ups who're talking. She's a very serious kid, you know.  
> This chapter was shorter than the previous one because not a lot of stuff happens on Dany's side of the story in season 4. It takes her four episodes to take Meereen and she spends the next six ruling (technically five because she doesn't appear at all in episode 7) so yeah, not much at all. But don't worry more is coming. More, much more... I've also started to work on something else, a surprise, if you will, but I'll tell you more about it later.  
> Fun fact of the day: It's widely known that Aegon the Conqueror never actually conquered Dorne. This is why House Martell's words are "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" because they never bent the knee. Dorne only became part of the Seven Kingdoms a century and a half later after many failed attempt at conquering it by force. King Daeron II married the Princess of Dorne and he married his sister, Daenerys Targaryen, to Prince Maron Martell. The Daenerys we know is the second to bear that name (at least since Aegon's conquest) but she can call herself first of her name because this Daenerys never ruled. I'm trying to find thematic facts which go with the chapter but its hard, so now you know about Dany's namesake.  
> Anyway, I hope you have a good weekend, and I'll see you on Monday for the next chapter!


	5. Fourth Year: Meereen, First Blood, Cold Wars and Open ones (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa remembers Meereen, how angry she was after her brothers were locked away, and how war began to brew below their feet.

Lexa had hated her mother for what she'd done. For the first few days afterward, she refused to speak to her at all and purposefully failed her princess duties. She stopped attending petitions and council meetings and would hide somewhere in the pyramid, out of everyone's sight. Sulking became her favorite activity, and fury was the only emotion she would show. If only Lexa had known how little time she had left with her mother back then, she may have come out of her anger earlier. But instead, she stayed angry.

Her third name-day was not as festive as it should have been. Her brothers were locked down. Drogon had not been seen in months. Ser Jorah had been banished. Daario was in Yunkai with the Second Sons. Her mother tried her hardest to make peace with her, but Lexa had decided to be angry and nothing else, and so Daenerys got angry as well and revoked her privilege to learn sword-fighting. This only managed to make Lexa even angrier. She ran down to her secret hideout, the catacombs. After much searchings, she'd found a few loose bricks on the side of the pyramid, leaving just enough space for her to go in and out, but unfortunately not enough for her ever-growing brothers to follow.

She spent quite some time in the catacombs. Sometimes, in the complete dark, sitting against one of her brothers. Most of the time, though, she brought pieces of wood, enough to make a small campfire. Rhaegal lit the fire, and she stayed there until it became almost impossible to see. She visited her brothers almost every day when she wasn't busy with her other activities.

She stopped reading and writing all day. It had all felt pointless anyway. She also stopped attending her High Valyrian lessons. She'd asked Missandei to teach her Dothraki instead because Valyrian bored her. When Missandei refused, Lexa stopped coming altogether, rummaging on how Missandei had betrayed her. They all probably had, to follow her mother rather than her. She felt clanless like she imagined Drogon felt. She thought her brother was too afraid to come back home, afraid to be locked like his brothers. She only understood later that he was never afraid of anything, he just needed his freedom.

She asked Kovarro for Dothraki lessons instead, and though he was hesitant at first, afraid of what his Khaleesi would say, he agreed in the end. His lessons were very weird, however, because he had never learned Common, no more than a few words anyway. So Lexa would sit and listen to him speak, usually understanding most of what he said, and would repeat until she mastered the words. She asked Kovarro to teach her how to fight too, but he refused. Lexa knew exactly why, but it didn't deter her.

She stole one of the Unsullied's swords – they always used their spears anyway – and hid it under her bed. She also started to walk around with the Dothraki dagger she'd received for her first name-day. She attached it to her belt, and she felt her mother's gaze on her the first time she came to dinner with a weapon on her. Daenerys, however, didn't say anything, as if resigned.

Lexa would spend quite some time in the back of the gardens on her own. She'd chosen a tree which she always thought to be pretty ugly and would pretend it was her enemy. She twirled and feinted like she'd seen fighters do before, and she hacked at the tree almost rhythmically, leaving small dents in the bark. Sometimes Ser Barristan would find her there. He joked about her technique and she replied angrily:

"If you'd decided to train me my technique would be better."

* * *

Lexa took to spending the night with her brothers. After she was sure everyone had gone to sleep, she slipped past the Unsullied guarding the pyramid and dug up her entrance, to slip in the catacombs. Her brothers were always happy to see her, nuzzling her and asking to be petted. They were the only one loyal to her at the time. She whispered to them how she was trying to get them out, to find a good plan to set them free. She was too small and weak to get the collars off their necks, and no matter how often she tried, the stone at the entrance wouldn't budge. She would most often fall asleep against Rhaegal, his wing draped over her like a blanket.

One night, as she was about to fall asleep, she heard the stone grinding against the wall of the entrance. Slowly but surely, the light of a torch made its way inside. Both her brothers hid in the darkness, and she quickly ran to hide behind a pillar. She wondered who could be stupid enough to enter the catacombs.

"Viserion? Rhaegal?"

Lexa quickly recognized her mother's voice. Fury started to bubble inside of her. Her mother, who was the only reason her brother had been locked here, dared to come back? With steady, measured steps, she walked toward the center of the room, to face her mother. The torches had stayed outside, and her mother had to frown to see her, but finally, she recognized her.

"Lexa? What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

"I could ask you the same thing. It's because of you they're locked in here."

"I was trying to protect you!"

"I can protect myself."

Her brothers appeared out of the darkness suddenly, standing on either side of her. They spewed fire and tried to bite at their mother, pushing her back until she was so afraid she ran up the stairs. They continued to pull on their chains, screaming, until the door closed once again. Lexa knew her brothers were as angry as she was. She waited for a few minutes, to see whether they would come down, but they were boiling with fire and snapping at each other.

"I'll be back tomorrow, okay?" she declared before making her way to her hole.

Her brothers didn't even seem to notice her. She looked behind multiple times before leaving, feeling like she was abandoning them every time even though she always returned.

* * *

Lexa was hacking at the tree with all her might. She wanted to see her brothers, but her mother had placed Unsullied all around the pyramid, and one was stationed right in front of her hole. She was furious when she found out, but she couldn't well go complaint to her mother, so instead, she decided to bring that tree down. Splinters and small chunks of wood covered the stone ground, and more and more fell with every swing of the now blunt sword. She was vaguely aware that someone was watching her, but she was so single-mindedly focused on the tree she didn't even think about looking to her side.

Suddenly a sword blocked hers before it could even touch the tree. She finally looked up and found ser Barristan easily holding her at bay. He had a small smile on his lips. He pushed her sword away and Lexa stumbled slightly, finding her footing again easily. She glared at the old knight.

"If you wanted to chop off a tree, Princess, I believe an axe would make better work."

"Can't you see I'm training?"

"I'm sorry to say that this isn't training, Princess. Training is perfecting a motion, footwork included. You were just about to break your sword."

"Was not!"

To prove her point, Lexa swung wildly at him. A simple parry sent Lexa to the ground, with half a blade left in her hand. She quickly sat back up, rage fueling her entire body, but then she saw ser Barristan holding a hand out for her, a genuine smile on his lips.

"I would like to make a deal, Princess. Would you listen to the ramblings of an old man? In exchange, I will speak to your mother and who knows, perhaps she'll let me train you properly."

Lexa considered what Barristan said for a good minute:

"Are you just there to lecture me? Because I'm not changing my mind."

Barristan's smile grew, his eyes shining with amusement.

"I couldn't change your mind if I wanted to, Princess. If Missandei has failed to make you understand your mother's intention I have even fewer chances to succeed. No, I simply want to talk."

She continued to think for a while. Ser Barristan had never lied to her, she actually wondered whether he'd ever lied to anyone. He'd always been nice to her, from the beginning. He told her stories of glorious wars. She took his hand, and he pulled her up.

They found a stone bench not far from the half chopped off tree. Lexa threw her broken sword to the ground. She would have to steal another one soon. Barristan seemed to have been staring at the tree before he found his words.

"I was a lot like you when I was younger. Always thinking about fighting and wars. I wanted to be a knight, can you believe it? For as long as I can remember I've always wanted to be a knight."

Lexa frowned.

"But you became a knight."

Barristan smiled at her.

"There's a large difference between the things you imagine and the things as they are, Princess."

He paused, wondering where to continue.

"Do you know the houses who rule over Westeros?"

Lexa shook her head. Her education on Westeros – their home, like her mother called it – had been rather limited in her short lifetime.

"I know a few. I know House Baratheon, the Usurpers, and House Mormont who work for House Stark, but that it."

"My House, House Selmy, is a lesser house under the Baratheons. But as a Kingsguard, my duty had been to fight for the King and his house, your House, Princess."

He sighed, reminiscing.

"My father didn't know what to do with me. Always picking fights, always winning them, too, but that didn't matter to him."

He smiled. Lexa watched him longly. She wondered whether reminiscing always made people this happy and whether she'd be like this one day, reminiscing about her youth.

"When I was ten I disguised myself as a knight and joined a tourney. Where was it again? Harrenhall, I think. I knocked Dearon Targaryen off his horse that day."

Lexa suddenly asked:

"You know other Targaryens?"

Her mother often told her they were the last two survivors of the great House Targaryen, of the old Valyria. It'd never really made sense to her, and when they discovered there were more Targaryens left in Westeros, hidden away, Lexa had stopped ever thinking House Targaryen was close to disappearing.

"I knew a few, yes. I was Kingsguard to your grand-father, Aerys the Second, but it's your uncle I knew better. Rhaegar."

Lexa frowned. Her uncle's name sounded a lot like her brother's name. She'd never asked her mother where she'd found her brothers' names, and she wondered whether he was named to honor her own brother.

"He would have made a good King."

"What happened?"

"He fell in love with the wrong woman. Now they all think he was a monster. He was just an endless romantic."

Lexa looked at her feet. Her toes could almost touch the ground now. She wondered about her family. She knew close to nothing of her father. He'd been a Khal, and his name had been Drogo – like Drogon but without the last letter – and he'd been a great warrior. She knew close to nothing about her mother's family too. They were powerful, they were Targaryens and a false King had taken their throne, that's why they called him the Usurper. Her mother, however, barely ever spoke of her own family. Her brothers, her parents, she never bothered to tell Lexa about them.

"How was he like? Rhaegar?"

"He was kind and brave. He had two children of his own, a daughter and a son. He was very good with a sword, too, though he didn't like to fight."

"Did he have a dragon too?"

Barristan chuckled then.

"No, Princess. No Targaryen has had dragons in a century. Your mother was the first to bring them back when everyone had thought them dead."

Lexa suddenly realized this was why they all called Daenerys the Mother of Dragons. Not because she had three of them, because she had them.

"And now she's locked them away." Lexa declared, anger dripping from her voice.

"Dragons are regal beasts. They think everything is due to them, that they can take whatever they want. Even things that don't belong to them. Would you rather we let them out, and suddenly one of them decides he wants to eat all the people in the harbor?"

"They would never do that!"

"Drogon has already eaten a little girl alive because he wanted to. You have decided to ignore your mother because you wanted to. Dragons do what they want, Princess, and it's hard to reason with them once they've made up their mind."

Lexa stayed silent. She knew of her brothers' danger even then. She had always been careful of that, of leaving them be when they were angry. It never occurred to her before how much of a dragon she could actually be.

"You haven't been to the council meetings in a long time, you don't know how bad things have gotten. Maybe you should see for yourself why setting the dragons free now would only cause more problems."

He got up and picked up Lexa's discarded sword.

"I will return this sword to Grey Worm. I'm sure he'll be happy to have it back, even in pieces. Should your mother agree to let me train you, I'll have a much better weapon for you."

Lexa smiled and looked longly at the tree. She decided to stop hacking at it, it had suffered enough already.

* * *

Lexa listened to Barristan's advice and attended the next council meeting. However, she refused to attend it at the table or even in her usual seat. Instead, she hid in a dark corner of the room, using her small size to spy on the council and listen in without being seen. She learned much then. About people who called themselves Sons of the Harpy, who wanted to bring back slavery. But also about her grandfather. The Mad King, Barristan called him. The things he described seemed horrifying, and she suddenly understood what he told her earlier in the week. What the dragon wants, the dragon gets.

She also started to spy on the petitions, though they were far and few between since the Sons of the Harpy had begun to act. She knew even then her mother knew she was there, spying in a corner, but she never said anything. Only a few days afterward, she found a short sword sitting on her bed, simple but obviously new, with a twisting dragon on the scabbard. She continued to avoid everyone then, except Barristan and Daario.

She was happy to see Daario return, but he was so busy and spent so little time away from Daenerys Lexa didn't dare to come to speak with him. She found him watching her as she trained from time to time, however, and she wondered whether he would train her as well, or even just spar with her. Things, however, got even busier when they arrested the man who'd killed White Rat.

* * *

Lexa had been excited to see the trial. She was even more excited to see the execution. Of course, her mother had forbidden her to come, but she didn't listen. Daenerys didn't try to argue any longer. They spoke so little and spent such a short amount of time together that she didn't want to waste that time bickering. Lexa walked down the steps from the pyramid beside Missandei, a hand on the hilt of her dagger, like she'd always wanted to do.

She stood on the balcony, the same place they had been at when her mother had asked for the masters to be crucified. The crowd was as loud as it had been that day, maybe even louder. Lexa stood almost right behind her mother, just a step to the side to see the people. The former slaves were all shouting, their hands raised, as if they could touch their Queen – their Mother – as if they could make her change her mind. But Lexa knew already her mother was a dragon, she wouldn't change her mind so easily, even when thousands of slaves begged her for it.

Daenerys took a step closer to the edge, and declared in High Valyrian:

"You've opened your gates to me because I promised you freedom and justice. One cannot exist without the other."

The crowd went deadly silent as her mother spoke, but as soon as the chains on the traitor's wrists rang, as the Dothraki carried him down the stairs, they started to shout once again. The former masters started to shout insults at the man. The former slaves started to call him brother. Lexa's heart began to pound louder in her ears, like a warning. Something bad was about to happen, she could feel it. A single glance at her mother told her she could feel it too but had decided to ignore it.

The man – Lexa was vaguely aware that he used to be a member of the council but she'd attended so few of these meetings recently that she had never taken the time to learn his name – pleaded for his life, asking to be forgiven. Lexa took one last look at him before she looked ahead of her once again. She had a hard time understanding when killing was legal or not, at the time. Why was killing the Son of the Harpy illegal, but killing the masters before that had had no consequences? Once again, she trusted her mother to know, though she wished someone would finally explain it to her.

"A citizen of Meereen was awaiting trial and this man murdered him. The punishment is death."

All at once, the former slaves started to scream for mercy. Her mother nodded toward Daario, who took his weapon out and walked behind the accused, his blade at the ready. The screams of mercy grew louder, and they seemed to stretch on forever. Their echoes joined the real words, amplifying them. Lexa waited anxiously for her mother to say something, to motion for Daario to do something. She stopped looking at the horizon, and the desert stretching outside the city, to look at her feet instead. She told herself the man didn't deserve her attention. In truth, she was scared to look, scared of what she would feel, to see a man being executed. There was no impressive fight, no honor in this death. Finally, Daenerys nodded toward Daario. He didn't even second-guess himself. In a swift motion, he cut the man's neck. The world went deadly silent once again, but only until the body hit the floor. The next second, all the former slaves started hissing, like snakes coming out of rocky crevasses. The bad feeling Lexa had turned to dread.

The Unsullied took defensive stands, preparing for an assured fight. Lexa didn't see the first stone fly from one side to the other. Very quickly, a riot broke out, and the next thing she felt was her mother's hand grabbing her arm and dragging her off the platform. Everyone followed, and soon Unsullied shields rose above them, shielding them from the rocks falling on top of them. Lexa barely registered what was going on around them. The only thing she heard was the stones falling above them, and rolling off the shields.

It was only once they all briskly walked inside the pyramid, and the Unsullied took their place guarding the entrance, that Lexa frowned. Her arm strung. Just as ser Barristan asked whether everyone was alright, Lexa looked at her right arm. A stone must have rebounded off the shields and fallen through the gaps, cutting her arm in the process. Blood began to flow out of the wound, and for a second she thought she was the only one to notice. But suddenly her mother gasped and she fell to her knees to inspect the cut.

"Oh God, Lexa, are you alright?"

Lexa tried to stop her mother from fussing over her, but Daario had already cut a piece of cloth out of his outfit to hand to her mother, and as soon as she applied it on the blood Lexa hissed.

"I'm fine, it's just a scratch."

"It's not."

Dany looked up and she was about to ask for someone to bring a healer, but she stopped before the words could tumble out of her mouth. With the riot going on outside, it would be rather difficult.

"Come, I'll take care of it."

She took Lexa's hand and pulled her up the steps of the pyramid, all the way to her own bedroom. Lexa hadn't been there since their first night in the pyramid, she realized. She wanted to pull away, to ask her mother to leave her be, but her legs were shaking with fear, now that the adrenaline had left her system. Dany placed her on her bed and began to look around for medical supplies, or anything she could use as such, while Lexa sat there, holding the dirty cloth.  
Dany victoriously found some tread and a needle when she heard a sob coming from behind her. She turned around. Lexa was desperately trying to stop herself from crying, resulting in those sobs which seemed to turn into hiccups. She didn't even remember why she'd been crying. The fear of the riots getting to her? The despair of seeing her brothers locked in the catacombs for almost a year now, and there was nothing she could have done to help them? Or just because she was tired of all of this, of being stubborn and angry? Either way, as soon as her mother took her in her arms and tried to comfort her, she hugged her back, and she realized how much she missed this, missed being hugged by her mother. Missed her mother, period. Dany hugged her like she would never let her go, and Lexa wanted to believe it was the truth.

* * *

Lexa was training on her own in the gardens, rehearsing the movements ser Barristan had taught her. There hadn't been time for another training session since the riots, everyone was very busy, but he promised her sometime this week, and she knew he always kept his promises.

"The last time I saw you train, you were fighting a tree. Now you're fighting air? Will you be fighting water next?"

Lexa turned around, only to find Daario standing at the edge of the small square she used to practice. She glared at his smug smile.

"You don't have the right to say anything, you haven't helped me train at all," she replied.

"Well first, my Queen forbade me to train you. Now it seems you have finally the right to hold a sword. Unless you stole this one as well?"

Lexa glared at him.

"You've been avoiding me."

"I was just about to say the same thing to you, Little Dragon. I was busy, you were brooding."

"Aren't you busy now?"

"The Queen is tired, she's canceled the petitions. Are you tired?"

"Why?"

"Well, I seem to recall someone who asked me to train her so she could become the best fighter in the world. Do I recall wrong?"

Lexa blushed, feeling stupid. She'd been two when she'd asked. Instead of waiting for an answer, Daario took his weapon out.

"So, show me what fighting air has taught you."

Lexa took the fighting stance Barristan had taught her. She suddenly realized that Daario was taller than Barristan, which would make things even harder, she thought. Nonetheless, she attacked. She brought her sword forward for a stab, which Daario avoided by hitting her sword to the side and stepping to her side. She tried to follow but found the inside of his arakh very close to her neck. She gulped, almost feeling the cold metal against her skin, and he smirked.

"You're a bit slow for a stallion," he commented.

Just as he pulled his sword away she tried another attack, this time a horizontal slash. He deflected her blade before it could even touch his midsection.

"Careful there. Your mom needs that."

She tried a vertical slash, growing frustrated very quickly, and he once again sidestepped before placing his sword, the sharp side this time, on her neck. He pulled away quickly and brought his sword down. She huffed.

"It's not fair! You're so much taller than me!"

"And you're so much smaller than me. It should be as difficult for me as it is for you. But it's not. Do you know why?"

"Because you're a super great fighter?"

"Maybe. But because I know myself. When I used to be small and all scrawny like you, I didn't try to fight like a knight. I fought quickly, I would move all the time. You're small, it should make you hard to hit because all the people you're going to fight are so much bigger than you. So move. Don't try to fight like a Westerosi knight. You'll never be tall or strong like a knight. You'll always be you, so fight like you would fight."

The more Daario spoke and the less things seemed to make sense, but in the end, Lexa understood that she should fight, and it was all that mattered to her.

"Alright, try this. Instead of blocking my swing, sidestep them. Can you do that?"

Lexa frowned.

"Isn't it a bit dangerous?"

"Only if you're too slow. Ready?"

Lexa took her stance once again, her sword at the ready. She nodded. Daario brought his sword down on her left side, and she quickly stepped to the side. The blade rushed past her, hitting the stone ground instead.

"Good. Now, this."

He brought down his sword on her left side once again, and she avoided it easily. However this time, he quickly chained this attack with a horizontal swipe. Lexa barely saw it coming, and she suddenly thought her head was about to fall, just like the murderer they'd executed. It was only her quick reflexes which brought the sword to stop his, only to realize Daario was using the blunt side of his sword, and he stopped himself a few inches from her neck.

"You should think on your feet a little more. Drop your sword and use your dagger instead."

"Are you serious?"

"Oh, I am."

"If mom finds out..."

"She won't. You won't tell her, right?"

"If you kill me you'll have to tell her yourself."

"I won't."

She gave him a disbelieving look and he assured her:

"I won't, okay. I know what I'm doing."

She placed her sword back in its scabbard, which she left on the nearest stone bench, and stood once again in front of Daario.

"Ready?"

He struck her three times. First, a vertical strike to her right. She sidestepped. Second, a horizontal strike. She ducked under. Third, a stab to her left side. She sidestepped and moved forward just enough to rest the point of her Dothraki dagger against his abdomen.

"Got you!" she declared happily.

He smiled before he tugged his feet behind hers, and pulled it from under her. She stumbled to the ground.

"Not bad. But you really should work on your footwork."

He placed his blade back at his belt and held out a hand for her to take. She huffed as he pulled her up, and sheathed her weapon.

"We'll make a fine warrior out of you yet, Princess."

Suddenly, a loud bell had rung from the city, and Daario looked over the balcony straight away as if he were trying to see what was going on.

"Shit!"

He turned around and looked at Lexa. She'd never seen so much panic in his eyes.

"Go find your mother! Stay with her until I come back, okay?"

Lexa nodded and ran as quickly as she could have. She found her mother in the council chamber, looking over the balcony, as if she, too, were trying to understand what was happening.

* * *

Ser Barristan's body was retrieved by Daario and the Second Sons, along with a dozen dead Unsullied, and a very wounded Grey Worm. By the time Lexa followed her mother to the throne room, they'd placed Barristan's body on a table with a white cloth under him. When Lexa first saw his body, she rushed up to it. A 'no' escaped her lips, far louder than she would have liked. She placed a hand on his body as if to make sure it really was what it seemed. Her palm returned tainted with dark red. She fell on the stairs then, crying.

Her mother tried to comfort her, while also preventing herself from crying. She needed to be strong. She needed to avenge her friend. Luckily for her, she didn't have to wait very long. Soon enough, as if he'd heard the news – or maybe he already knew because he'd been a snake this whole time – Hizdahr lo Zoraq arrived. Lexa was still crying on the stairs, though her tears had died, turning into uncontrollable sobs. She stood up in fury when the former slaver arrived.

"I am so sorry, my Queen. He was a good man."

Daenerys didn't even turn around to acknowledge him. She continued to stare at the body of her dead friend.

"Barristan the Bold, they called him. He crossed a continent to serve me. He was a loyal friend. And he died in an alley, butchered by cowards who hide behind masks."

Daario moved closer toward Dany:

"We could pull back to the pyramid district, secure it, and use it as a base from which to operate. Then, we clean the city out, neighborhood by neighborhood, street by street, until the rats have nowhere left to hide."

Daenerys finally turned around, looking at the former master for the first time.

"I prefer your earlier suggestion. Round up the leaders of each of Meereen's great families and bring them to me."

Lexa had no idea whether Daario really suggested this idea or even when he had, but her brain was completely scrambled by sadness as soon as she'd seen Barristan, and that sadness was now replaced by fury.

"But... I'm the leader of my family."

Hizdahr was picked up by the two Dothraki behind him and dragged away. He begged. Lexa watched him leave with an angry glare. He was going to pay. They all were.

* * *

Daenerys did not even have to ask whether Lexa wanted to come with them to the catacombs. Not only would she never miss a chance to see her brothers, but she'd never miss a chance to see them in action either. The eight leaders of the great families of Meereen were rounded up, and she stood beside her mother as they were pushed forward. She could feel her brothers near, though they were hiding in a dark corner, waiting to know what was going on. With every step the men took, her brothers' heavy chains became louder as they racked on the floor.

Lexa stood on the first step, her hands folded in front of her, her angry eyes falling on each and every one of the men as the Unsullied pushed them forward. She wished her brothers would eat them all, burn them all one by one as the others watched in terror, knowing the fate that would soon fall on them. She hoped her mother felt the same. Blood must have blood.

Her mother stepped closer to the men and begun telling them:

"They will eat you if I tell them to. They may eat you even if I don't. Children. Some say I should give up on them. But a good mother never gives up on her children. She disciplines them if she must."

She paused then, near a trembling man who was mumbling what seemed to be prayers. She looked at Daario, and he pushed the man forward. He fell heavily on his knees.

"But she does not give up on them."

As the man fell forward, the sound of chains intensified. Out of the darkness, Rhaegal appeared, a spark dancing in the back of his throat. Lexa smirked then. Her brother burned the man alive, and the man screamed, but not for long. Soon, Viserion crawled out of the shadow as well, and they both pulled on a side of the burning man, splitting him in half to each get a piece. All of the other former masters watched in fear, falling to their knees, except Hizdahr.

"Who is innocent? Maybe all of you are. Maybe none of you are. Maybe I should let the dragons decide."

As she spoke, her mother moved closer to Hizdahr, placing a hand on his shoulder. Lexa could see him shaking slightly.

"Valar Morgulis." he declared.

After a moment, Daenerys stepped away.

"Don't want to overfeed them. Tomorrow perhaps."

She nodded, and Daario and the Unsullied rounded the seven men left. Lexa stepped forward to stand beside her mother and they watched as her brothers ate their dinner as if slavers tasted to them as good as sweets tasted to Lexa.

* * *

Though Missandei spent most of her time sitting beside Grey Worm's bed while he was recovering, Lexa still went to keep him company. He'd been so grievously wounded that he'd had to stay in bed all day, which Lexa now knew had to be one of his worst life experience. So she tried to come and distract him, by telling him about her day. He was always happy to see her, and he would always listen. Sometimes Missandei would even be there, but most of the time she would excuse herself to take care of one thing or another.

The news of her mother reopening the fighting pits circulated twice around the pyramid before Lexa even heard of it. Daario was the one to tell her. She knew her mother probably didn't do it because she'd changed her mind, so she tried to hide her excitement, but it had filtered through when she'd asked her mother to attend the games in the lower pits with her. Of course her mother had said no multiple times, but Lexa had kept insisting, and finally, Dany had broken and said she could, adding a 'you really are your father's daughter' with a sigh.

A less exciting news was her mother's engagement to Hizdahr lo Zoraq. She'd always hated the man, and just because he would be her new father – he would never be her new father. She'd never needed a father before, and it would not start with a former slaver – didn't mean she gave him any more respect than before. Instead, she found herself glaring at him more often than before. Which was unfortunate, especially when they traveled to the lower pits to see the people fight. Lexa hoped there would be women fighting as well, but Hizdahr told her the fighting pits had always been forbidden to women. She glared at him furiously for having broken her dream.

* * *

Lexa sat beside her mother on the small couch. Dany was obviously conflicted about this visit. The only reason why she'd agreed to begin with was that Hizdahr kept repeating that it was customary, and not following the traditions was what had cornered her into this situation, to begin with. Lexa tried not to fidget excitedly too much.

The door on the side of the pit opened suddenly, the planks of woods knocking into each other as a man richly dressed walked out. He pushed the fighters following him to enter the pit when he suddenly noticed Daenerys. Lexa barely contained her laughter at the face he made. He rushed up to their couch and bowed.

"Your Grace, Your Future Grace, Princess, you honor us all."

He quickly rushed to speak with his fighters. Lexa looked at all of them, unimpressed. They didn't look like fighters or warriors. They didn't look like Daario and his Second Sons, or even Jorah. She looked sadly at her feet. They especially didn't look like brave knights, like Ser Barristan.

The man rounded his fighters so they would all look toward them, and had them repeat after him:

"We fight and die for your glory, o glorious Queen."

Lexa watched as the men moved to form pairs. There were three duals to watch, but her attention was caught by the one closest to them. Very quickly one of the opponents stabbed the other with a small knife before pushing him to the ground. There, he made a show of cutting his throat. Lexa frowned, surprised. This wasn't what she'd been expected. It wasn't honorable or worthy of a story that would echo throughout the ages. It was quick and painful to watch, the loser's blood flowing out of his neck like water out of a fountain, and she wished the bald man with his knife was the one who'd died. Beside her, her mother looked just as appalled by the first dual.

Lexa stopped looking directly at the fights by then, and only wished they would go home as quickly as possible. She heard another scream and looked up. The bald man had sliced the back of another fighter's leg, and he was pursuing him viciously. Lexa glared at him with all her might, but it didn't change a thing. Worse, the people around them seemed to enjoy the show, clapping and shouting happily at the fighters.

Finally, Daenerys stood up.

"I think we've seen enough. Come, Lexa."

Lexa was about to follow her mother when Hizdahr called her back:

"Your Grace, it is a tradition for the Queen to stay until a victor has emerged."

Dany turned around, looking down at her betrothed like he'd just told her the most disgusting thing in the world.

"I've sacrificed more than enough for traditions," she replied, her eyes darting at the people behind them and her voice falling into a whisper.

Suddenly, the wooden doors burst open once again. A man walked out, a helmet covering his face and a sword in his hand. Lexa stared at him as he punched the rich man with his elbow before coming up to fight the bald man, who was bashing his opponent's skull's open with a rock. All it took was two punches and the bald man was knocked out. Lexa smiled. She didn't even notice her mother had stopped taking to look at the new fighter as well.

The man walked up to two dueling men. He pulled one of them out of the fight and punched him in the chest, knocking him to the ground. The other man tried to dual with him instead, but the knight – Lexa was sure he had to be a knight – twisted his arm. The man dropped his sword and screamed, falling to the ground when the knight let him go.

There was only one man standing, with his strange morning star – Lexa still had no idea what this weapon's proper name was. The man tried to knock the knight with the ball at the end of his chain, but the knight avoided it. He threw his sword at the man who, surprised, didn't have the time to prepare another attack. The knight picked up a shield and hit the man on the head with it.

Another man stood back up. The knight seemed unimpressed. He punched the man in the stomach before taking his helmet off and knocking him on the back of the head with it. Lexa was cheering by then, clapping with the rest of the crowd. The knight walked up to them, slowly. All of his opponents were lying in the sand, knockout or close, and he managed all of it without dropping a single drop of blood. Lexa stood up to stand near her mother, ready to congratulate the knight. The Unsullied, however, took a defensive stance, their spears pointed at the man. He took his helmet off, and Lexa frowned.

She didn't recognize him, not straight away. She hadn't seen him in such a long time that her mind had stopped putting his name and his face together. Ser Jorah Mormont, for her, was nothing but vagueness. A bear, it was all she remembered. But when her mother stopped smiling and looked angrily at him, she knew this was Ser Jorah.

"Get him out of my sight."

Jorah looked devastated.

"Khaleesi, please."

Two men came to drag him back through the door. He'd let them.

"I just need a moment of your time."

Daenerys didn't make any motion to stop them, so Jorah struggled, stopping the men from taking him any further.

"I've brought you a gift!" he declared loudly.

"It's true."

All eyes suddenly darted toward Jorah, or rather the person walking behind him. A small man in chains, with a dirty mop of golden hair on his head, and an unkempt beard. His chains rang with every step he took.

"He has."

He walked up to stand beside Jorah, his eyes looking at the Queen, then falling on Lexa for a few seconds.

"Who are you?" Dany asked, her voice confused and tense with anger.

He raised his hands, showing the chains linking his arms.

"I am the gift. It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace. My name is Tyrion Lannister."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! First and foremost, no, this is not the end of the chapter. This is 4a, you'll get 4b on Wednesday. It just so happen that Chapter 4 and 5 are twice as long as chapter 2 (the longest chapter so far). Chapter 6 is almost three times as long as chapter 2! I just needed to cut them in half, get them into something more manageable. It already took me 2h to read through this one before posting it, and I really don't want to be correcting a chapter for 4 hours straight. So don't worry, part two of chapter 4 is coming on Wednesday, that's a fact.
> 
> Anyway, I wanted to thank Tre_rox for leaving a comment. You made me realize how much we writers are a bunch of sadistic bastards, who are happy to hear they've made people cry (I mean it was the intention of the scene, but still, I feel really bad for making others cry.)
> 
> Who's ready for a little fun fact? I just learned this one today while checking the spelling of Daario's weapon, the arakh. Arakhs are the "official" Dothraki weapon, they all carry one because what they lack in penetration capacity they make up for in agility. They are perfect for fighting on horseback. Now, in the books, they are described as "half-sword and half-scythe", which if you look at the design of the weapon on the show, is pretty accurately represented. However, G. R. R. Martin first imagined the Dothraki wielded scimitar-like weapons, which he described metaphorically. The showrunners just went a bit too literally on this one!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this first part of a chapter, and I'll see you on Wednesday for the other part!


	6. Fourth Year: Meereen, First Blood, Cold Wars and Open ones (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa remembers Meereen, it's where she met Tyrion and where she killed for the first time.

Lexa had no idea why this man was so important that the Unsullied were tasked with keeping him prisoner all the way to the pyramid instead of protecting them. She didn't dare ask her mother until Hizdahr had left them, confused and not sure if he should apologize for what had happened at the pits. Finally, Lexa understood. The Lannisters were one of those big important families in Westeros, like the Baratheons and the Starks. They'd helped murder her grandfather and her uncle, and they had now taken the throne for themselves. Lexa didn't understand all the logistics of things, only that this man, Tyrion, was important. So, when her mother decided to have an audience with them, Lexa asked to be there. She stood beside her mother's throne with her dagger at her belt and her most serious expression on her face.

Both Tyrion and Jorah were brought before them. Missandei also joined them, standing on the opposite side of the throne, her face cold like Lexa had never seen before.

"Your Grace, I want to say..."

"You will not speak." Daenerys declared, her voice as cold and sharp as ice.

She turned to Tyrion.

"How do I know you are who you say you are?"

"If only I were otherwise."

Lexa looked longly at Tyrion. He had a very strange way of speaking, she noticed.

"If you are Tyrion Lannister, why shouldn't I kill you? To pay your family back for what it did to mine?"

"You want revenge against the Lannisters? I killed my mother, Joanna Lannister the day I was born. I killed my father Tywin Lannister with a bolt to the heart. I am the greatest Lannister killer of our time."

Lexa tried not to show her confusion. How had he killed her mother on the day of his birth? He'd been just a baby. A baby couldn't kill, right?

"So I should welcome you into my service because you murdered members of your own family?"

Tyrion seemed confused.

"Into your service? Your Grace, we have only just met. It's too soon to know if you deserve my service."

Lexa had never met such a strange man before, and she had no idea whether she liked him or not.

"If you'd rather return to the fighting pits just say the word."

Tyrion paused as if he were thinking. Finally, he explained:

"When I was a young man I heard a story about a baby born during the worst storm in living memory. She had no wealth, no lands, no army, only a name and a handful of supporters, most of whom probably thought they could use that name to benefit themselves. They kept her alive, moving her from place to place, often hours ahead of the men who had been sent to kill her. She was eventually sold off to some warlord on the edge of the world and that appeared to be that. And then a few years later the most well-informed person I know told me that this girl without wealth, lands or armies had somehow acquired all three in a very short span of time, along with three dragons, and all the while raising her daughter. He thought she was our best, last chance to build a better world. I thought you were worth meeting at the very least."

Lexa listened attentively to every word Tyrion said. Her mother never spoke about her past, or so little Lexa barely knew anything about it.

"And why are you worth meeting? Why should I spend time listening to you?"

"Because you can not build a better world on your own. You have no one at your side who understands the land you want to rule, the strengths and weaknesses of the houses that will either support or oppose you."

"I have a very large army and very large dragons."

"Killing and politics aren't always the same thing. When I served as Hand of the King I did quite well with the latter considering the king in question preferred torturing animals to leading his people. I could do an even better job advising a ruler worth the name. If that is indeed what you are."

Lexa finally decided she quite liked Tyrion. He was different from all the men she'd met so far. All of them were fighters, knights, and warriors. Tyrion, she realized, was a different kind of fighter. He fought with his words.

"So you want to advise me. Very well."

She looked at Jorah, who'd tried to make himself forgotten on the other side of the stairs.

"What would you have me do with him? I swore I would kill him if he ever returned."

"I know."

Tyrion walked closer, to stand at the edge of the first step.

"Why should the people trust a queen who can't keep her promises?"

"Whomever ser Jorah was when he started informing on you, he is no longer that man. I can't remember seeing a sane man as devoted to anything as he is to serving you. He claims he would kill for you and die for you, and nothing I have witnessed gives me reasons to doubt him. And yet he did betray you."

Tyrion tried to climb up the stairs but the Unsullied moved, ready to attack. Dany told them to stand down with a motion of the hand. Tyrion walked up to the first landing.

"Did he have an opportunity to confess his betrayals?"

"Yes. Many opportunities."

"And did he?"

"No. Not until forced to do so."

Tyrion paused, seemingly thinking.

"He worships you. He is in love with you, I think. But he did not trust you with the truth – an unpleasant truth, to be sure – but one of great significance to you. He did not trust that you would be wise enough to forgive him."

"So I should kill him?"

Tyrion shook his head.

"A ruler who kills those that are devoted to her is not a ruler that inspires devotion. And you're going to need to inspire devotion, and lots of it, if you're ever going to rule across the Narrow Sea. But you cannot have him by your side when you do."

Daenerys thought for a few seconds before she declared:

"Remove ser Jorah from the city."

As two Unsullied came to pull him out of the room, Lexa looked at her feet. She hadn't thought about Jorah until recently, too taken by her brothers and then by the death of Ser Barristan. She didn't realize until now she'd missed the old knight, but this time she wouldn't do anything to make her mother change her mind. She'd learned her lesson. You can't stop a dragon from doing what it wants.

* * *

Lexa was going back inside the pyramid after her daily training with Daario when she stopped on a rather peculiar sight. Tyrion was sitting on a bench near the entrance, half a dozen scrolls resting beside him. He was switching between each scroll regularly and would mutter to himself every few seconds. She didn't realize she'd been standing there staring at him for far too long until he declared:

"Have you come for some counseling, Princess?"

She shook her head.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, you could say the same thing as you."

He rolled up the scroll in his hand and looked at her. He'd been taller than her at the time, mostly because she'd still been on the smaller size for an almost four-year-old.

"I was training."

"Training?"

"Yes. You train to become a great fighter, right? Well, I train to become a great counselor. It means I must be knowledgeable about a lot of things, most importantly the country I serve. Which I cannot do. Unfortunately, most of these scrolls are in High Valyrian."

"You don't speak Valyrian?" Lexa seemed shocked to discover it.

Tyrion smiled at her and stood up, picking all of his scrolls from the bench.

"Unfortunately, not everyone can be as smart as you are, Princess."

She smiled.

"Missandei taught me. Maybe she can teach you too."

"Perhaps."

He started walking toward the door and she followed. She hadn't noticed before because she'd never seen him from so close, but he had a scar across his face.

"How did you get that scar?" she asked.

"This is a souvenir from my fighting days. Fortunately, they are over by now."

"You know how to fight too?"

"Poorly. I prefer fighting with my mind, now."

Lexa frowned. Truly this man was very strange.

"Is that why you said you were training when you were just reading?"

They turned right into the pyramid's archive room, where Tyrion had taken the scrolls. He set them on the nearest table before he explained:

"Reading is important, Princess. As a wise man once said, the mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone if it is to keep its edge."

Lexa thought about the sword on her back. It was blunt because it was a training sword, but her mother had promised it would be sharpened once she'd acquired enough experience.

"Books are boring. When my tutor taught me how to read he made me read the story of the foundation of Meereen. It was boring."

Tyrion smiled as he looked at other scrolls on the shelves.

"You'll sometimes find the most interesting things in the most borings of books. But, it's always good to start with things that interest you."

After much rummaging, he pulled out another scroll.

"Tell me, Princess, do you know where your ancestors came from?"

"Westeros, I guess? And the Dothraki sea?"

"Westeros, hum? Have you ever heard of Valyria?"

Lexa shook her head. Tyrion returned to her and handed her the scroll.

"Valyria was the land from where Aegon the Conqueror's ancestors had come from, before his family had settled in Dragonstone. Here. This is one of the few scrolls they have in common."

Lexa unrolled the top of the scroll to read its title. The Rise and Fall of Valyria. She frowned. It didn't seem very interesting.

"Give it a try. If you don't like it, then you can just put it back."

Lexa shrugged and left the archives with the scrolls. She returned to her bedroom and placed her sword in a corner before settling on her bed and unroll delicately the scroll once again. She began reading about a land of magic, of people who'd conquered dragons and built the greatest city the world had ever seen. She read of an empire that should have lasted for centuries and fell in a matter of hours. By the time she put the scroll down, night had already fallen and she realized only too late she was late for dinner.

She rushed through the pyramid and all the way to the dining room where her mother, Missandei, and Tyrion had already been seated.

"I'm sorry I forgot it was dinner time," she said as she slipped into her chair.

Daenerys frowned.

"You forgot?"

Tyrion declared:

"It's my fault, Your Grace. I gave the Princess a scroll about the Old Valyria today, thinking she may be interested in reading it. It seems I was right."

Daenerys seemed surprised.

"You were reading?"

Lexa nodded, already half of her plate stuffed in her mouth. Dany straightened her back slightly. She had no idea what to think of this. Tyrion had been in the pyramid for two days and he'd already managed to make Lexa read instead of train with a sword or spend time with her brothers.

"Is there a scroll about Aegon's Conquest?" Lexa asked.

Daenerys had never been more confused in her life. Her wild daughter who'd been so reluctant to learn how to read and write was asking to read more. Tyrion replied:

"Well, as I said, most of these scrolls are in Valyrian. Maybe. We can look together tomorrow if you'd like."

Lexa smiled and returned to her plate, seemingly unaware of the utter confusion her mother was feeling.

* * *

Lexa spent the next few days between training, reading, and attending her Princess duties. She only went to see her brothers once. She wanted to bring the scroll she was reading with her but was afraid they would have set it on fire. They hadn't found anything about Aegon's Conquest, however, they'd found a story in three volumes called 'A Spice Merchant in Vaes Dothrak: A seasonal tale.' Behind this strange title was the story of a merchant from Braavos gaining permission to sell his spices in Vaes Dothrak for an entire season. Lexa suddenly learned more about her father's culture than she ever found out before. She'd been reading the second scroll when they had to depart for the great games in the fighting pits. Lexa didn't want to go, not anymore, not after what she'd seen, but Daario assured her it would be different this time, more glorious. She wanted to bring the scroll with her in case she got bored but her mother forbade it.

The fighting pits were much much bigger than Lexa had ever imagined. Thousands upon thousands of people came to see the games, and as they were led to their seat Lexa could see Unsullied posted everywhere around the arena. Five seats had been placed on a dais right in front of the pit, the Targaryen banner flying under it. Her mother took the central seat, and Lexa would have taken the big seat beside her but she knew it was Hizdahr's – who was nowhere to be seen yet – so she took the smaller seat on her mother's left, Missandei seating beside her. Tyrion took the rightmost seat, and Daario stood behind them, keeping watch. With everyone else dead or wounded – or exiled – he was the only one there to keep them safe, give or take a few Unsullied. He assured Lexa it wouldn't be a problem, plus she was there too. She had her dagger at her belt, and he'd taught her how to use it.

Four men on horseback appeared through a wooden gate, waving colorful banners. The crowd began to cheer. The riders began to move in synch as if their horses were dancing for them. The crowd's cheers grew louder. Lexa had no idea what was going on. A good minute into the show, Hizdahr arrived with his stupid little smile on his face and took his seat beside the Queen. Lexa glared at him with all her might.

"Where have you been?" Daenerys asked.

"Just making sure everything is in order," he replied while adjusting his robes so they wouldn't be stuck under him.

The horses left the sandpit through the same door they'd walked in, and a man with a golden coat took their place. The cheers grew even louder. The man stood at the center of the arena and bowed his head. Then, with a single motion of the hand, he shushed the entire crowd. Lexa could finally hear herself thinking again. With a booming voice, the man addressed the crowd. Lexa didn't really listen to what the man said, playing with her fingers instead. She decided this whole thing was just a bad moment to get through, that once she was home tonight she wouldn't have to think about it anymore, and she could continue to read about the Dothraki Sea.

The crowd started to cheer again, and two men walked out of the door. One was big and full of muscle, and the other smaller and slightly leaner. They were presented as strength versus speed, and Lexa wanted to believe that speed would win like Daario had taught her. One after the other, the fighters declared how they would fight and die for her mother's glory. Lexa thought if they wanted to fight for her glory they should have joined her army, not the fighting pits. The man in the golden coat walked away, leaving the two fighters standing in front of them, in a deadly silence. Lexa frowned. Why didn't they start to fight?  
Everyone was suddenly staring at them, and Lexa kept her eyes on the sand on the ground.

"They're waiting for you," Hizdahr said to her mother. "Clap your hands."

Lexa looked at her mother. She seemed so unsure and unnerved by the thought. She looked down at the fighters, quickly, before looking back up. Very slowly, she raised her hands. Lexa wondered whether she would even manage to clap, to sentence one of this two men to death. But she clapped, and the crowd cheered. The two fighters took position and began their dual, the big man putting all his strength in his swings while the smaller man blocked them with his shield or avoided them.

When the smaller man managed to wound the big man, Lexa heard Daario chuckling beside them. She turned to look at him. He was leaning between Dany and Hizdahr, pointing to the two fighters.

"That one, the smaller man! No question, that's where you should put your money!"

"The smaller man it is," Tyrion declared.

"I'm not putting my money anywhere," Daenerys said.

Hizdahr explained, with disdain in his voice:

"Kings and Queens never bet on the games. Perhaps you should find someone who does."

But Daario didn't budge, instead, he continued:

"People used to bet against me when I fought in the pits." he turned to Daenerys "He would have bet against me. Common novice mistake."

Hizdahr seemed frustrated by Daario's comments – and possibly his presence as well.

"I have spent much of my life in Meereen, and in my experience, larger men do triumph over smaller man, far more often than not."

Though her mother looked away from her, Lexa could feel the same exasperation she was feeling toward the man in her mother's voice:

"Have you experience ever involved any actual fighting? You, yourself, have you ever tried to kill a man that was trying to kill you?"

When Hizdahr finally went silent, Daario continued:

"Whenever I got into the pit against a beast like that one, the crowd saw me, all skin and bone back then," he looked at Lexa, and she understood instantly he was about to give her another lesson, "then they saw a pile of angry muscle ready to murder me. They couldn't get their money out fast enough."

He pulled his dagger out, making it dance between his hands with ease.

"But the pile of angry muscles never had any muscles here." he put his dagger under his jaw, the point of the blade barely an inch from his skin. "Or here." This time, he put the dagger behind Hizdahr's neck, and even though Lexa couldn't see well how close he was she could see the other man's discomfort.  
Daario put his dagger back in at his belt.

"And the big men were always too slow to stop my dagger from going where their muscles weren't. Yes, whenever I saw a beast like that one, standing across from me making his beast faces, I knew I could rest easy."

There was suddenly cheering and Lexa looked back at the pits, where the big man had just decapitated the smaller one. She huffed and pouted. Daario turned around, his lips pursed angrily.

"You don't approve?"

Lexa's attention shifted back to Hizdahr, whom she glared at for good measure than to Tyrion who was the subject of his scrutiny.

"There's always been more than enough death in the world for my taste. I can do without it in my leisure time."

"Fair enough, yet... it's an unpleasant question, but what great thing has ever been accomplished without killing or cruelty?"

"It's easy to confuse what is with what ought to be. Especially when what is had worked in your favor."

Lexa frowned. She had yet to understand half of the words which left Tyrion's mouth, but it seemed important and thoughtful, and she tried to remember them.  
"I'm not talking about myself. I'm talking about the necessary conditions of greatness."

Finally, her mother decided to place herself in the conversation, as she looked at the pit workers pulling the headless body out of the pit.

"That is greatness?"

Hizdahr would have huffed if he didn't rush to get his words out of his mouth:

"That is a vital part of the great city of Meereen, which had existed long before you arrived and will remain standing long after we have returned to the dirt."

This seemed to have been the end of the conversation, but before the announcer returned, Tyrion added:

"My father would have liked you."

The announcer walked back to the sandpit with six men behind him. They all ran around him before forming a line, as he asked again who would win. Lexa was vaguely aware of her mother and Hizdahr arguing beside her, but she instantly recognized Jorah among the fighter and her mind went blank. What was he doing here, fighting against five other men nonetheless? She looked in panic at Missandei who'd also noticed, and they both looked at her mother, who was so taken by her conversation with Hizdahr that she'd yet to notice.

One after the other the fighters were introduced, Jorah the last of them. The Westerosi knight, they called him, and he once again declared that he would fight and die for his Queen. This attracted Daenery's attention, and she finally looked at the pits. They all had, even Daario. Jorah was standing there, ready to fight. The announcer returned through the door, and everyone was once again waiting for the Queen.

"Your Grace..." Hizdahr started.

Daario quickly cut him off:

"Shut your mouth."

There was a long moment of silence during which Daenerys hesitated, slightly raising her hands than lowering them. Lexa's mouth was open, waiting, staring at her mother. She tried to protest, or say something, anything, but she was not able to find the words. She looked back at Jorah, who was waiting expectantly, then to her mother, who finally made up her mind. She quickly raised her hands and clapped. The crowd cheered, and Jorah nodded, accepting his fate.

He walked away, warming his shoulder as the other fighters selected which opponent they wanted to fight. A man with a large spear faced Jorah, but Lexa had no idea who he was. She quickly turned to Daario who was watching the fight as well.

"Who's that man fighting ser Jorah?"

"That is a Norvoshi."

Lexa had no idea what a Norvoshi was, or where they came from, but she decided it didn't matter, not when it seemed ser Jorah was losing to him. Fortunately, he was mostly struck by the wooden end of the spear, not the sharp metal side. Lexa gasped when he lost his sword, but he quickly took his dagger from his boots and continued to fight.

The crowd cheered loudly, suddenly, and Lexa barely looked away for a few seconds. She didn't even notice that a Dothraki had been fighting in the pit, but now he was dead. She didn't care. Her eyes quickly returned to Jorah, who was stuck in a hold with the Norvoshi, the man's hand around his neck but his other hand preventing Jorah from stabbing him.

Finally, Jorah managed to set himself free. He kicked the Norvoshi's leg, pushing him to the ground, and planted his dagger in his opponent's chest, making the cheers of the crowd grow even louder. Lexa let out a breath she didn't notice she'd been holding.

Jorah picked up his sword, and another man approached. He was playing with his thin little sword since the beginning. Lexa had never seen anyone fight like that.

"And this one, who is he?"

She asked no one in particular, but Daario answered:

"It's a Water Dancer from Braavos."

Lexa thought the title of Water Dancer to be weird for a fighter to carry, but the way he moved, with grace and speed, signified that his title was earned. He would put on a show, dancing around Jorah, never wounding him too severely so the fight could go on but touching him every time he struck. Lexa would have admired him if not for the fact that Jorah was his opponent, and he was not able to touch him since the beginning of their dual.

The crowd once again erupted in cheers when the Meereenese champion stabbed his opponent with his spear, but Lexa didn't care. She was completely focused on Jorah. He was doing his best to block every quick attack the Braavosi sent his way, but something suddenly occurred to Lexa. He should have been sidestepping.

Jorah fell to the ground, losing his balance as his opponent struck his arm. He tried to reach for his sword but as he rolled on his back he found the Braavosi's sword to his chest. The Braavosi looked up as if he wanted the crowd to cheer louder before he executed the man at his mercy. Lexa looked, horrified, at her mother who looked just as shocked as her.

"Mother, you have to stop him!" she declared.

"She cannot." Hizdahr defended.

"You can!" Tyrion shouted as if to remind her that she was the Queen.

The Braavosi smiled and raised his sword, ready to strike him down. But he was playing too much, and he hadn't been paying attention to the Meereenese. Lexa let out a breath of relief when the Braavosi was stabbed in the back by the Meereenese, who gave Jorah enough time to stand up and pick up his sword once again.

Jorah managed to stop the man's spear almost every time, earning him the boos of the crowd. Lexa, however, started cheering him on. She started to clap and shout:

"Come on Jorah, you can do it!"

Jorah, however, fell to the ground once again and dropped his sword. The Meereenese tried to stab him but he took a hold of the spear and kicked him away. He quickly picked up his sword and got back up. They started circling each other until Jorah was facing them. He looked up at them for just a second, seeing Lexa cheering for him, and when his opponent attacked, he rolled down and stabbed him through the chest, just under his armor. Lexa clapped and continued to shout, almost standing by that point, but her voice was drowned by the boos of the crowd. Jorah stood back up, breathing heavily, waiting for something, anything. Suddenly, he frowned and took the spear from the dying man's hand. He pulled the weapon back, ready to throw it.

Daario threw himself over Daenerys, shielding her, and Hizdahr launched himself toward the opposite side. The spear, however, went passed the both of them and struck someone else. Lexa stood up and turned around, only to find the spear resting in the chest of a Son of the Harpy.

* * *

Daario ran to the masked man and pulled out his sword. Suddenly, the crowd's cheers turned to panicked screams, as everywhere, more Sons of the Harpy began to emerge. Lexa's hand quickly shot to the hilt of her dagger, ready to be taken out.

"Protect your Queen!" Daario shouted.

The entire pit turned to chaos. People were running and screaming everywhere, trying to escape the Harpys who began to kill everyone who wasn't wearing a mask. Everywhere Lexa looked, there were Harpys killing people, and Unsullied killing Harpys.

A masked man with a spear tried to come close to them, but Daario pushed him off and embedded his sword in his chest. More and more Harpys approached them or tried to go around them. Daario had already killed three when Hizdahr, who finally snapped out of his panic, turned to the Queen.

"Your Grace! Follow me! I know a way out! I..."

Three Sons of the Harpy grabbed him, and one stabbed him in the chest multiple times, silencing him for good.

Once Hizdahr's body dropped on the dais, the three masked men moved toward them. Daario was able to attract their attention by attacking one. At that moment, Lexa didn't think, she acted. She used her seat as a booster to jump on the man's back. Her dagger was in her hand before she could even think of taking it out. She stabbed the man's shoulder, using it as a grip to hold onto him. He reared back like an angry horse but Lexa passed her left arm around his face, pressing his mask even deeper over his mouth and nose. She knew she wouldn't be able to hold on for very long, so she quickly took her blade out of his shoulder and slid his throat. As he fell to the ground, she jumped back on her feet, her dagger still in hand, looking furiously around her. The third masked assailant had been dispatched by Ser Jorah, who'd climbed onto the dais.

Jorah held out a hand for Daenerys to take and as soon as she had, he pulled her toward the edge of the dais, to bring her inside the pit. Daario and Lexa followed close, Lexa ready to stab the first idiot who'd come too close while Daario helped her mother down.

"Come on, your turn!" Daario quickly declared.

"No, I want to fight!" Lexa shouted back.

He sighed and picked her up before jumping down into the pit. She wiggled out of his grasp only for her mother to take her hand, and pull her toward the nearest exit.

They barely made it into the tunnel when the door closed in front of them, and a Harpy appeared from the shadow, right in front of Lexa. She was ready to cut him down, but Jorah stabbed him from behind. They all rushed out, Lexa quickly passing beside her mother to stand behind Daario.

"The other side! Come on!"

They all turned around and returned to the pit. Missandei and Tyrion, as well as a handful of Unsullied, joined them. Daenerys held out her hand for Missandei to take like she done with Lexa previously. They made it halfway through the pit, more and more Unsullied circling around them when they suddenly had to stop. Half a hundred Sons of the Harpy flooded out of the exit they were aiming for and ran around them. They were surrounded.

The world went to a standstill. The Harpys, with their daggers and spears, were hesitant to attack, sure to be the first to meet their makers. The Unsullied were pointing their spears at them, more and more hesitant as well, faced with such a large number of enemies. Lexa still had her dagger, ready to attack. She was standing right in front of her mother and Missandei, ready to defend them both.

One after the other the Harpys attacked, only to be cut down by an Unsullied or Daario or Jorah. Every time one made it just a bit too close he would be stabbed. One fell to his knees right in front of Lexa, it's calf slit by an Unsullied spear. Lexa took no chance, and before the Unsullied could turn around to finish him she put her dagger through the masked man's chin like Daario had shown her previously. The more they cut down, however, the more seemed to appear. Lexa felt dread settle in her chest once again, making her hands shake.

Suddenly, there was a loud roar, which stopped everyone from moving. Lexa couldn't believe it. Had her brothers managed to set themselves free? A ball of fire erupted in the sky, and a black dragon flew over them, roaring triumphantly.

"Drogon!" Lexa happily shouted.

As her brother landed close, most of the Sons of the Harpy went running. One of them, however, tried running at them. Instantly, Drogon caught him with his mouth and pulled him off the ground. He bit into him before shaking his head until two pieces of the man flew around the arena. He started spitting fire everywhere, burning enemies and allies alike, flicking them with his tail and chopping down on them.

Everything seemed to go faster after that. Harpys were throwing spears at him, and when her mother shouted his name Drogon didn't even react but continued to protect her instead. She pulled out a spear from his shoulder and he screamed at her painfully, before calming. She tried to pet him but more spears came, and Dany decided to take things into her own hands. She climbed on top of Drogon, unafraid, and told him to fly. Drogon had to run the entirety of the arena before his wings carried him up. He almost crushed everyone in his path. Including Lexa, who was pushed to the side by Jorah.

They all watched as Daenerys flew away on Drogon. Lexa told herself that it had been to protect him, to make sure he wouldn't get hurt more than he already had, or worst, get killed. But soon her mother's figure disappeared from the horizon, and Lexa's smile fell.

* * *

Lexa was the last to see the healer. She was barely wounded anyway. She waited on the balcony of the council chamber for hours, looking for the shadow of a dragon, for any indication of her mother's return. When it was clear Drogon had carried her away, she gave up and accepted to see the healer. Most of the blood on her wasn't hers, fortunately, which was something she had gotten used to since, but she still had a light cut on her cheek and one on her arm. When she left the room where most of the wounded Unsullied had been tended to, she knew her destination, the throne room.

She arrived at the top of the room, behind the throne. Everyone was already there, discussing. Tyrion was standing the closest to the throne, with Daario standing in front of him and Jorah seating in front of him. Missandei and Grey Worm were standing at the bottom of the stairs. Lexa hid behind the wall and listened in. She quickly understood that they were debating about going after her mother. Daario said:

"Forgive me, but why would we bring you?"

To which Tyrion replied:

"Pardon me?"

A long back and forth between the two followed:

"Have you ever tracked animals in the wilderness?"

"Not precisely, but I have other skills that'd be very useful..."

"Can you fight?"

"I have fought before. I don't claim to be a great warrior."

"Are you good on a horse?"

"Middling."

"So mainly you talk?"

"And drink. I've survived so far."

"Which I respect. But you would not help us on this expedition. You would help us here in Meereen, though."

Lexa frowned. Who would rule Meereen now that her mother was gone? Should she? But she'd had no idea how.

"None of us have any experience governing a city, except for him. Now that the Queen is away Lexa is going to be Queen and she's too young to know what she's doing. You want to prove your value to the Queen? Prove it right here in Meereen."

Before anyone could add anything Lexa stepped out of the shadows to stand by the throne.

"He's right."

All eyes fell on her.

"I don't know how to rule a city, but you do. I'm going to need your help."

Jorah shook his head.

"He's a foreign dwarf that barely speaks the language. Why would the Meereenese listen to him, even if he speaks for the Princess?"

"They wouldn't," Daario replied. "They will listen to Grey Worm."

Grey Worm, however, stepped away from Missandei.

"I'll come with you. I'll find our Queen."

Missandei placed a hand on his shoulder as if to stop him.

"You are not strong enough to go anywhere."

"I am."

Missandei was about to tell him he wasn't but Daario intervened:

"He is, he's the toughest man with no balls I've ever met. But you still can't go. The people believe in you. They know you speak for the Queen."

"It's true," Missandei added, "Only the Unsullied can keep the peace in Meereen. If you leave, half the city will consume the other half."

Daario continued:

"And Missandei. Our Queen trusts no one more than Missandei. Certainly not me."

He looked at all four of them with a smirk.

"The Queen's closest confidant, the commander of the Unsullied, the foreign dwarf with a scarred face and the four-year-old Princess. Good fortune, my friends, Meereen is ancient and glorious. Try not to ruin her."

With one last nod towards Lexa and Tyrion, Daario walked down the steps.

"Looks like it's you and me, Jorah the Andal. Let's find some good horses. We have so much to talk about."

As Daario and Jorah left the room, Tyrion stood up, giving one uncertain look toward Missandei and Grey Worm before, like them, looking up towards Lexa. She took a deep breath. She didn't expect to become Queen for another two decades, at the very least, but it seemed fate was forcing her hand. With another deep breath, she stepped to the side and sat on the throne, where she would stay for almost a year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! First, I wanted to thank Tre_rox and x_hoffe_x for leaving comments! I hope you liked this chapter as well. I think Dany would make an amazing mother, but if my theory proves right, we will unfortunately never have the chance to see it happen :(  
> Now, I hope my haterade for the fighting pit scene did not seep too much into this chapter. I used to quite enjoy it before, but writing it was dreadful. It was my least favorite scene to write by far, but I hope it turned out good anyway.  
> Fun fact of the day? Drogon was always described as bigger than his brothers even when they were younger. However, his actual adult size his due to the time he spent on his own, whereas Rhaegal and Viserion were chained under the pyramid, which made them considerably smaller than their brother. We know this because the same thing happened to the dragons of the Targaryens back in Westeros, who'd locked them up in the dragon pit where they grew smaller and smaller. Drogon is said to be the biggest dragon to grace the skies since Balerion the Black Dread, Aegon the Conqueror's dragon.  
> Alright, and on that, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you on Friday for chapter 5, part 1!


	7. Fifth Year: Meereen, an End to Chaos and its Return tenfold (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa remembers Meereen, the burden of being Queen but also Tyrion, and his unwavering help.

Lexa had no idea how to rule a city, and she would have been imitating her mother if Tyrion hadn't been there. She would have probably made the same mistakes, and returning the city to stability would have been very difficult. No one ever took a four-year-old Queen seriously. But Tyrion, she knew people took him seriously when he spoke. She had, at the very least.

He continued to give her scrolls he thought she would enjoy, even sometimes having books bought at the market and brought up to the pyramid just for her. She had far less time than she'd wished to read, however. Her Princess duties had turned to Queen duties. Tyrion decided it would be better if she took care of the problems in the city, and he, along with Varys would take care of their Harpy problem. Lexa accepted though she was wary of Varys. He was under Tyrion's supervision as the blond man had said, and that was the only reason why Lexa had agreed to let him help.

Her days suddenly became long and tiresome, even more so than before. She would sit through half a day of petitions, with Grey Worm, Missandei and sometimes Tyrion at her side, often confronted with problems she understood close to nothing about. Thankfully, there was always someone to help her understand, and she quickly realized the feeling in her gut was often the right one to follow. When she told Tyrion about it, he smiled and said it was because she was a natural, and ruling would come easily to her. She didn't believe him.

She would attend meeting councils, too, though, with everyone either gone or dead, the council had been reduced to herself, Missandei, Grey Worm, Tyrion, and Varys. This was the only thing she could cut short because the five of them saw each other so often that most of the things which should have been said during the council were said already. Tyrion was always too happy to declare the council adjourned, not so much for himself but for Lexa's sake. It would give her some time to do whatever she wanted. Find a calm spot to read, or go see her brothers.

Lexa was more and more worried about her brothers, too. Since their mother had left they'd stopped eating completely. It became common for Lexa to go down – through the main door now, she was the Queen after all – and find two or three whole dead sheep laying on the ground, untouched. She'd tried everything, talking to them, reassuring them their mother would return soon – though in retrospect it may have been to reassure herself as well – cutting pieces of the sheep with her dagger to feed them herself, they just ignored her. She wanted to set them free more than anything, but she was still too small and weak to take their collars off, and she feared they would attack anyone bigger she would send their way. She'd taken to sit on the stairs and read to them, but again they would sleep against the opposite wall and ignore her.

Every evening before dinner Lexa had her training session with Grey Worm. Now that he was feeling better, and upon hearing that Lexa had already killed three full-grown men, he started training her rigorously, both with the short sword and the spear. Lexa hated the spear, it made her feel clumsy, but Grey Worm insisted. If she could fight with the first weapon she could get her hands on and win, whether it was a sword or a spear, then she would live another day. And, like Tyrion told her, living was much more interesting than dying.

She always excused herself quickly after dinner and would head to bed almost straight away, worn out by her day of ruling. Before slipping into her bed, however, she always stopped by her mother's bedroom. Hers didn't have a balcony, just a window. She went on the balcony, sometimes just in time to see the last rays of the sun fall over the horizon, and leave the sky dark blue. She watched as more and more stars appeared. She read in the scrolls about the Great Stallion and his fiery khalasar who galloped into the night sky for all eternity. The more she stared at them the more she wondered which one was her father. The sky was always so big maybe she couldn't even see him from here. At the time, however, she wanted to believe he was watching over her, and was proud of who she'd become, of her talent on horseback and with a sword, and proud to see that she was working hard to please her people.

When no dragon-shaped figure appeared in the sky, Lexa left the balcony and went to her own bedroom, more often than not containing her tears.

* * *

Lexa could still see the smoke rising from the harbor, as she stared out the window. Behind her, her council was seating around the table, waiting for her to say something. This was the first crisis she had to deal with since the pits. Everything had been going so well so far. She turned around to face the table. She always stood up, because even up she was barely at their eye level. If she sat she would have been smaller once again.

"And no one saw anything?"

"Unfortunately, no, Your Grace," Varys replied. "But I'm sure we can all agree on who were the perpetrators anyway."

Lexa sighed.

"First they want us out of the city and now they strand us here. My mother needed those ships."

"We'll order construct on more, Lexa, don't worry." Tyrion tried to reassure her.

"How long is this going to take?"

"To build a hundred ships? I'm sure it can be done in a reasonable amount of time."

"If by reasonable you mean before my eighteenth nameday then it won't do." she snapped back.

Tyrion grimaced.

"I'm sure it can be done in less than that."

"Fine, we can rebuild those ships, but they better be ready before my mother's return. Anything else?"

Tyrion shook his head and she said:

"Leave."

She turned around and walked onto the balcony, surveying the horizon. No dragon-shaped figure, no riders arriving at the gates, just smoke rising near the water. She let out a long sigh. Her mother was bound to be extremely mad when she found out Lexa had let her fleet being burned down. She felt tears stinging her eyes, though she had no idea whether she was sad or frustrated. She sniffed them away, however, when a hand came to rest on her shoulder.

"It's not your fault, you know."

Tyrion was standing on the balcony beside her with a gentle smile on his face.

"You have done nothing wrong. The Harpys are responsible, but I promise you, we'll find them, and we'll take care of them."

Lexa tried to hold her sob in, but it came through when she sadly explained:

"Mom needed those ships."

Tyrion shrugged.

"Ships are just pieces of wood. It's easy to replace. But a Queen is not, and you've been trying your hardest, I know you have. You're too young to be in this position, but you can't do anything about it, I know. Maybe you should take some rest from being Queen?"

Lexa started crying without even realizing it. She was so tired, and sad and angry at her mother for leaving her, and frustrated by this whole situation. She felt she was about to explode, and she dreaded the moment she finally would. Without thinking, she hugged Tyrion and started to cry in his shoulder. Tyrion stiffened in surprise before hugging her back.

* * *

Lexa took one day of rest every week after that, a day without any Queen duties where she could do whatever she wanted. Tyrion tried to push for naps too, claiming she was still a young child after all, but Lexa refused, claiming he was using her fragile mental state and took advantage of her weakness. Tyrion was so impressed by the words she'd used he dropped the subject altogether.

On the morning of one of those resting days, Lexa went to visit her brothers. They had yet to eat anything, still, but she was hopeful that today would be the day she would convince them to stop starving themselves. The Unsullied keeping the door pushed the stone just enough for her to pass through. She skipped down the stairs and called:

"Rhaegal! Viserion! It's me, Lexa!"

She heard her brothers moving, the sound of the claws clicking on the ground and their tales slithering around the humid dungeon, but she frowned. Something was amiss. A sound was missing. She was so used to it by now that she had yet to realize what it was, but she knew deep in her gut that something was missing.

Without any torch to guide her, Lexa walked toward the sounds her brothers were making, unafraid. She was scanning the darkness, looking for a sign of her brothers. Suddenly, she tripped. She fell onto the wet ground, catching herself with her hands quickly. She looked behind her. Her foot had caught on her brother's chain, and she could see the collar at the end of it, laying heavily on the ground. She blinked multiple times in surprise, unsure whether she was hallucinating. Had her brothers managed to undo the collars themselves? No, there were no marks of claws or fangs on the metal. Someone had taken their collars off.

She heard the disgusting sound of bones snapping in half and looked up. There, in the darkness of the room, she saw her brothers bickering over the torn apart body of a sheep. She smiled.

"You're free!"

She rushed up to them and hugged Rhaegal, then Viserion. They let her do, focused on their meal. She decided to let them eat in peace, but as she walked quickly toward the exit she shouted:

"I'll come back later, promise!"

She passed through the door and the Unsullied sealed it behind her. She waited until he'd taken his place back to ask, in Valyrian:

"Did you free my brothers from their chains?"

The man replied:

"No my Queen, the lord Tyrion did."

Lexa was surprised to hear it, but she smiled nonetheless and searched through the pyramid to look for Tyrion. She found him in the archive room, pondering over a book which was probably new.

"Tyrion!"

He looked up and smiled.

"So, how are you brothers doing?"

"You've set them free! Thank you!"

He closed the book and stood up.

"I must admit, you are far braver than I had ever given you credit for. They are impressive."

Lexa shook her head.

"They don't like being down there. I've wanted to let them out for a long time but everyone said he was a bad idea, with all the trouble going through the city. But now at least their chains are off and they'll feel a bit better."

Tyrion smiled.

"Glad I could be of service, then."

* * *

Lexa was seating on the balcony in her mother's room when Missandei found her. The first of the stars had appeared in the sky, but Lexa was still waiting for her father to appear. She made sure to always wait for his star to grace the night sky before going to bed.

"Shouldn't you be asleep by now?" Missandei asked, looking down at Lexa.

"I'm waiting for something," Lexa replied.

Missandei stood there for a few seconds before she decided to sit beside Lexa.

"You're looking north, aren't you?"

"I think. Daario told me the sun sets west, to this must be north."

"I'm sure she'll come back soon. She must miss you terribly."

"I miss her a lot too. I don't know why Drogon took her away."

Missandei crossed her fingers, her eyes falling on the stars as well.

"Maybe he wanted to protect her."

"Maybe."

They fell into a comfortable silence. Lexa continued to stare at the sky intently, waiting as stars lit up one by one. Missandei looked at the sky as well, though not seeing what Lexa was seeing. She looked at Lexa too, at the way her entire being seemed focused on the stars.

"So, what are you waiting for?"

"My father. I'm waiting for his star to lit up. That way he can see me and make sure I'm fine."

Missandei smiled tenderly and passed a hand through Lexa's hair.

"It's very thoughtful of you."

"I'm sure he's looking out for mom too, that's why he's late to come to see me sometimes."

"I'm sure you're right."

* * *

Lexa was seating on the ground, a book in hand. They were waiting for Varys in the council chamber, and while Lexa was deep into the story of Queen Visenya, Tyrion, Missandei and Grey Worm were stuck in an awkward silence around the table.

"What should we do while we wait? To pass the time, what should we do? What should we talk about?"

Silence followed, and Lexa stopped reading, to glance quickly at the table.

"You speak nineteen languages. You must occasionally use some of them to talk about things."

Missandei stayed silent as if the language Tyrion was speaking was one she hadn't learned yet.

"You two, you spend a great deal of time together. What would you be talking about if I weren't here?"

"Patrol," Grey Worm started. "When I am going on patrol with the Unsullied. What we see on patrol. Who we captured on patrol."

Tyrion stood up with his glass in his hand and turned around to the nearest pitcher to refill his cup.

"That's good. That's very good. But that's a report. I was thinking more of a conversation. A wise man once said the true history of the world is the history of great conversation, in elegant rooms."

"Who said that?" Missandei asked.

"Me, just now."

Missandei looked at him longly, confusion was written all over her features. Lexa tried to hide her smile. She'd never seen Grey Worm talk if he hadn't been asked a question before, and Missandei almost never had conversations just to pass the time. Both of them spoke when necessary and always spoke true, straight to the point. Conversations with them were never long.

"All right, no conversations," Tyrion conceded. "Let's play a game."

He returned to the table and they both looked just as confused as before.

"You don't play games, either one of you, ever?"

"Games are for children." Grey Worm declared.

Missandei added hesitantly:

"My master Kraznys would sometimes make us play games."

Tyrion smiled.

"There, that's a start."

"Only the girls," Missandei explained.

Tyrion's smile quickly disappeared, and Lexa held in her laughter at the sight of his appalled face.

"Oh no, no, no. Not that, of course, not that. Innocent games, fun games, drinking games."

"We do not drink," Missandei replied.

"Until you do," Tyrion said with malice in his voice.

When both Missandei and Grey Worm looked just as unconvinced as they looked before, he declared:

"Alright. No drinking. We can play without drinking. It's a wonderful game. I invented it. Here's how it works. I make a statement about your past. If I'm wrong, I drink. And if I'm right..."

He stopped and sighed. Lexa had to purse her lips not to laugh.

"Maybe we can't play without drinking."

The sound of a door opening behind them seemed to save Tyrion. Lexa closed her book and stood up as Vary climbed up the stairs to meet them.

"Oh, you took your time."

"Sorry. I was busy learning who funds the Sons of the Harpy. Some things you can't rush."

Lexa quickly left her book on the table to focus completely on what Varys had to say.

"You found out?" Missandei asked.

"The good masters of Astapor. And the wise masters of Yunkai. With help from their friends in Volantis."

Tyrion stood from his chair and rounded the table to stand beside Varys.

"You see? You don't even have to worry about a local rebellion. We only have to worry about the three rich foreign cities paying for it."

Grey Worm instantly declared:

"We conquered Astapor and Yunkai once. We will do it again and execute the Masters."

Tyrion shook his head.

"If the Unsullied march off to reconquer Astapor and Yunkai, who will remain to defend the free people of Meereen?"

"He's right," Lexa added. "We need the Unsullied here."

"If we do not fight them," Grey Worm asked, "how can we stop them?"

Missandei replied:

"We cannot. The Masters only speak one language. They spoke it to me for many years. I know it better than my mother tongue. If we want them to hear us, we must speak it back to them. May it be the last thing they ever hear."

Tyrion nodded.

"You may be right."

"So we will fight them?" Grey Worm asked.

"Possibly."

"Possibly?"

The answer didn't seem to please Missandei.

"It's a conversation," Tyrion explained.

"You have a plan?" Lexa asked.

She hoped he had one because she had no idea what do to. Tyrion nodded once before turning to Varys.

"Tell me, can your little birds get a message to the good Masters of Astapor, the wise Masters of Yunkai, and the benevolent enslavers of Volantis."

"Of course. Men can be fickle, but birds I always trust."

* * *

Lexa spent most of her free morning in her room, reading. She emerged near midday, ready to go see her brothers before lunch. As she looked over the sea, however, she noticed a ship near the harbor she'd never seen before. Its sails were white, with a Harpy wrapped in chains on them. Lexa frowned. Whatever this boat was, it didn't mean anything good.

"Do not use me for your lies."

She looked down a few balconies, only to find Tyrion, Grey Worm, and Missandei walking there. She assumed if anyone knew about the boat with the Harpy on it it had to be Tyrion. She ran down the stairs and rushed passed the Unsullied keeping the stone walk until she reached the others. They were in a heated argument over something:

"I'm loyal to my Queen, not you. If you betray her work you are my enemy." Grey Worm declared as he stopped walking.

"I am not betraying her work, I'm trying to save her city," Tyrion replied.

Lexa was about to call them, but Missandei replied:

"You promised the slavers they could keep slavery."

Lexa frowned. What were they talking about?

"For a short time."

"Seven years is not a short time for a slave." Missandei countered.

"What?"

They all turned to Lexa who was standing behind Missandei. Tyrion explained:

"We just met with the slavers to offer terms of peace."

"Peace? And you didn't think of informing me?"

"I was going to."

"You were going to tell me that you've allowed slavery again?"

Tyrion sighed and started walking down the stone path.

"You're right. Slavery is a horror that should be ended at once. War is a horror that should be ended at once. I can't do both today."

They all followed him, but Grey Worm took a few quick steps to stop in front of Tyrion.

"You are wrong to trust these men."

"I don't trust the masters. I trust their self-interest. They're trustworthy if they think working with me is in their self-interest."

Grey Worm continued to debate otherwise:

"You don't know them. You don't understand them. We are not human in their eyes. They look at me and see a weapon. They look at her and see a whore."  
"They look at me and they see a misshapen little beast."

Tyrion walked passed Grey Worm, who was still obviously very displeased by Tyrion's idea.

"Their contempt is their weakness. They'll underestimate us every time and we will use that to our advantage."

Grey Worm stopped Tyrion with a hand on his shoulder, his lips pursed in contained anger.

"You will not use them. They will use you, that is what they do."

He walked away then, Missandei close behind. Tyrion turned around. Lexa was still standing there as if she were thinking.

"Do you know what you're doing?" she asked.

"Does it not look like it?"

She crossed her arms.

"Your plan better work because I will not be accounted responsible for this."

"And you won't. I promise."

"Good. Next time you set up a meeting, with anyone, without warning me, you'll spend a good night sleep in the catacombs."

She turned around and walked away.

* * *

Lexa had been briefed about Tyrion's new idea one morning at breakfast. It had been a fortnight since the pact with the Masters was made, and Meereen had come to a fragile peace. Tyrion, however, wanted the people to know Daenerys was behind it all, which is why he'd called upon the followers of the Lord of Light. Lexa had heard a bit about them, but not much, and she decided since Tyrion's plan had worked this one could, too. But she insisted to be present, to which Tyrion grimaced. His logic was that if the Princess was there, people would expect the Princess to speak, not her counselor. Her presence alone would sap every word he spoke. They came to a compromise when he discovered her ability to hide in the darkest of places. She placed herself in a dark little corner of the throne room when Kinvara, High Priestess of the Lord of Light, arrived.

A woman and a man dressed in crimson entered the room. Tyrion and Varys were waiting at the top of the stairs. The man stepped forward to introduce the High Priestess.

"You stand in the presence of Kinvara, High Priestess of the Red Temple of Volantis, the Flame of Truth, the Light of Wisdom, the First Servant of the Lord of Light."

And here Lexa thought her mother was the only one with way too many titles. The man stepped aside and Tyrion declared in his broken Valyrian:  
"Welcome to Meereen."

Kinvara walked up the stairs, stopping at the first landing, fingers linked in front of her, her face as devoid of any emotions as before.

"That's about the extent of my Valyrian." Tyrion joked.

This didn't seem to warm the Priestess who continued to stare at them silently.

"Thank you for traveling all this way. I know from personal experience how uncomfortable the journey can be."

Still, Kinvara said nothing.

"The truth is we need your help. We had hoped that we could somehow persuade you to..."

Kinvara cut him off then:

"You don't need to persuade me. I came to help."

She walked up a few more steps, her hands holding her dress so she wouldn't trip on it.

"Daenerys Stormborn is the one who was promised. From the fire, she was reborn to remake the world."

Tyrion nodded.

"Yes."

"She had freed the slaves from their chains and crucified the Masters for their sins."

"She did indeed."

"Her dragons are fire made flesh, a gift from the Lord of Light. But you heard all this before, haven't you? On the Long Bridge of Volantis. The dragons will purify nonbelievers by the thousands, burning their sins and flesh away."

While Tyrion seemed shocked the more he listened to her, he quickly regained his composure.

"Ideally we'd avoid purifying too many nonbelievers. The Mother of Dragons has followers of many different faiths."

Kinvara smiled.

"You want your Queen to be worshiped and obeyed. And while she's gone, you want the Princess and her advisors to be worshiped and obeyed."  
Tyrion pursed his lips.

"I'd settled for obeyed."

Kinvara looked away then, straight to where Lexa was hiding. Lexa tried to move back behind the wall, to completely hide, but her eyes found the Priestess'. They were like pieces of jade, with a fire burning behind. The Priestess smiled and turned back to Tyrion.

"I will summon my most eloquent priests. They will spread the word. Daenerys had been sent to lead the people against the darkness in this war and in the great war to come. Her bloodline will rule for hundreds of years to come."

Tyrion seemingly ignored the prophetic part, simply replying with:

"That sounds most excellent..."

Varys cut him off, but Lexa stopped listening. Her mother's bloodline would rule for hundreds of years to come? Did it mean hers too? How could she rule over a kingdom when she could barely rule over a city? Over a long period of time too? And her children would rule? But what if she didn't have any, what if she didn't want any?

Her attention snapped back to the Priestess when she walked up the stairs, the heals of her shoes clicking on the marble steps.

"Everyone is what they are and where they are for a reason. Terrible things happen for a reason. Take what happened to you, Lord Varys, when you were a child. If not for your mutilation at the hand of a second-rate sorcerer, you wouldn't be here helping the Lord's Chosen bring her light into the world. Knowledge has made you powerful. But there is still so much you don't know. Do you remember what you heard that night when the sorcerer tossed your parts into the fire? You heard a voice call out from the flames. Do you remember? Should I tell you what the voice said?"

As she spoke, she walked closer and closer to Varys, until her hand came to rest on his arm. Varys looked terrified like Lexa had never seen him before.  
"Should I tell you the name of the one who spoke?"

Kinvara waited a few seconds before smiling and rubbing her hand on his arm.

"We serve the same Queen. If you are her true friend, you have nothing to fear from me."

Kinvara turned around and walked away, glancing one last time toward Lexa before exiting the room, her follower behind her. Lexa waited a bit to walk out of her hiding spot herself. Tyrion was rubbing his hands.

"Well, I think this was a success. Wouldn't you say so, Lexa?"

Lexa looked at the entrance as if Kinvara was about to return, to come to speak to her. She didn't, however. Lexa's gaze then fell to the nearest torch. Her mother's bloodline. The bloodline of the mother of dragons, the bloodline of the Unburned. Lexa wasn't any of these things. She had no idea whether she could burn or not, and the curiosity had never been biting at her so viciously than right now. She would just have to take a few steps and place her hand in the fire. It would be that easy.

"Lexa?"

Her attention snapped back to Tyrion, who was looking at her with concern. Varys had already fled the room.

"Yes, it was alright."

Though her voice was trembling slightly, she didn't give it any second thoughts. Instead, she climbed up the stairs and past Tyrion, and walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Like I said before chapter 5 also had to be cut in half, you'll get the better half (or was this the better half?) on Monday, don't worry.  
> I wanted to thank x_hoffe_x and Tre_rox for leaving comments! I considered for a moment putting Lexa on Daenerys' journey back to Vaes Dothrak, but I felt she would be too much of a burden. Dany's return to Vaes Dothrak is the moment she really becomes a Queen and she couldn't have done that with her daughter in the middle. Plus, I can barely imagine what the khals would have done to her. Best case they enslave her, worst case she's the daughter of another khal and they execute her. I also really wanted Lexa to have some time to bond with Tyrion, so here we are.  
> Last night I went to see Jurassic World 2, and it made me realize how it would make an awesome Clexa AU. So my brain went from "How awesome would it be to write a Clexa AU of the first Jurassic World with Clarke as Claire and Lexa as Owen" to suffering from PTSD at the idea of having to again copy-paste an existing story. Rise of the Green Dragon has destroyed me. I'm never going to write ambitious stories ever again. Or, you know, for a week or something.  
> Do you guys really want a fun fact today? Alright, let's see... How about a fact on House Clegane? House Clegane was raised to knighthood by Tywin's father, Tytos Lannister. Clegane, the first Lord of the House (and grandfather to the Hound and the Mountain) was the kennel master of House Lannister. He saved Tytos' life from a lioness (how the hell did a lioness found its way to the Westerlands?!) losing three of his dogs in the fight. Tytos made him a lord and their sigil, the three hounds on a golden field, his a symbol of that adventure.  
> Alright, once again, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you on Monday for part 2 of chapter 5. Have a nice weekend guy!


	8. Fifth Year: Meereen, an End to Chaos and its Return tenfold (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa remembers Meereen, the fragile peace she helped bring there but also what it felt to leave some of her friends behind.

Lexa was happy that the peace had returned to Meereen. What she wasn't happy about was that a more peaceful city meant more people came to complain during the petitions. She regretted the days she used to stand beside her mother. The throne became more uncomfortable with each person who came to petition her. Thankfully, both Tyrion and Missandei were assisting her that day, which made things much easier.

She was done dealing with a merchant whose stand had burned during the fire at the harbor and sent him away with enough money to rebuild two shops. The morning was going incredibly slowly. She hated those kinds of mornings when every minute seemed to last an hour.

"Send the next one, please." she declared after the merchant had left the room.

Lexa was expecting another merchant like she'd seen almost all morning. Merchants, traders, and travelers begging for the reopening of their shops, of the city market or that the burned ships may be cleared quickly from the harbor, so their own ships could dock. Instead, a child walked in. Barely older than her, with a skin as dark as Missandei's, and dirty slaves clothes on him. He approached, trembling slightly, and looked down at his feet as he explained in Valyrian, as quickly as the words could tumble off his lips:

"I lost my father in the pits and I don't have anywhere to go anymore, and no job to win money. Please, my Queen, give me something to do. I will even train to become an Unsullied if you need me to become one."

Lexa stayed silent for a long moment, shocked. He was the first child she'd ever seen during the petitions and judging by Missandei's expression he was the first child to ever dare to come up to the pyramid, period. But make him an Unsullied...

"You do know who the Unsullied are and what masters did to them?" she asked.

The boy nodded.

"If I become an Unsullied at least I'll have a place to stay," he replied.

He looked up quickly, daring for a second to make eye contact with her. Lexa looked at both of her counselors for some advice, but they both seemed just as lost as she was.

"What is your name?"

"Lincoln... My name is Lincoln, my Queen."

"You're an orphan?"

He nodded again.

Lexa leaned toward Missandei, and whispered:

"I don't want to make him an Unsullied."

"It would be ill-advised, yes. Perhaps give him work around the pyramid?"

"Still, he wouldn't have anywhere else to go."

She then turned to Tyrion and leaned toward him.

"If we were in Westeros, what would a Lord have done?"

"For an orphan, not much. Find him a work in the kitchen, perhaps? If he were the orphan of a noble house, they may have taken him in as a ward."

Lexa straightened herself and thought longly. She couldn't make this boy work in the kitchen. He was brave, the bravest of all the boys in the city, to come and talk to her. He asked to be made an Unsullied, knowing full well the consequences of his choice. She had to reward his bravery.

"I can't make you an Unsullied. Did you have work before?"

"My master had me work with my father around his garden, but he was going to sell me soon. I think he wanted to make me a soldier."

Lexa nodded.

"One day, we will leave for Westeros and leave this city to its citizen. We need to make sure the people here have someone they can count on, someone who'll know how to rule the city," she explained.

The boy looked up slightly, confusion in his eyes.

"From now on, you'll be a ward. You'll live here in the pyramid, and learn how to write and read, and how to fight, and one day you'll help rule this city."

The boy's head snapped up, his eyes so big they threatened to roll out of their socket.

"My Queen..."

"Princess, I don't know whether this is a good idea..." Tyrion whispered beside her.

She turned toward her adviser.

"He's a brave boy, the bravest of all the boys in this city because he's the first one to come to talk to me. I have to reward his courage."

She then turned to Missandei who was smiling at her, approving her choice.

"Can you find him a bedroom and better clothes? We'll need to find him tutors, too, but I think he can train with Grey Worm and me."

"Certainly, Your Grace."

Lexa looked down at the boy who smiled while Missandei started to walk down the stairs.

"You're a brave person, Lincoln."

"Th... Thank you, My Queen. Thank you!"

He followed Missandei out the door and Lexa smiled, confident she'd done something good, all by herself.

"Let's not turn the pyramid into an orphanage while your mother is away." Tyrion declared.

"I'm sure she would have done the same," Lexa replied, though something in the back of her mind told her that no, her mother wouldn't have done the same. This had been her doing, hers, and no one else's.

* * *

Lexa quickly developed a strong friendship with Lincoln, and though Tyrion had been skeptical at first he had to admit that he was good for the Princess to have a friend her age. Lincoln had been six at the time, a scrawny looking kid who'd never had enough to eat in his life. They had better, richer clothes made for him and for the first few days he barely dared to try anything as if he were afraid this was all a dream which would shatter the next second. Tyrion insisted Lexa took him with her during her day off, to show him around the pyramid. Lexa agreed. Though the boy was afraid to do or say much of anything during their training session, she still found him intriguing.

A few adjustments had to be made, obviously. First, Lexa insisted Lincoln called her by her name, like all of her friends. He paled at the thought but complied. Then, Tyrion had all of the boy's classes moved to another day, so the two children could spend their day off together. Lincoln was mostly learning the common tongue with Missandei, as well as how to read and write. Tyrion thought it was a good start, and they could teach him other things later. For now, Lincoln continued to speak with Lexa in Valyrian, which she didn't mind.

She took him around the pyramid, showing him all of her favorite places. The archive room impressed him a lot, he claimed it was three times the size of his master's reading room. Lexa reminded him he didn't have a master anymore, and that once he knew how to read he could borrow any of the scrolls if he put them back afterward. Lexa told him about the book she was reading, too, a book about all the cities in Essos and the Summer Isles. She asked Lincoln if he knew from which city his family came from, before being slaves. He had no idea.

She took him to the gardens next, where he marveled at all the flowers they had there. He asked who was taking care of the garden and Lexa shrugged. She assumed the garden had been taking care of itself. He was appalled by the sight of the half cut down tree she'd left in her anger, long forgotten now. Then he realized he made her feel uncomfortable and quickly apologized. She brushed it off and said he should never apologize for saying the truth.

After a quick run through the armory, where all of the Unsullied hung their weapons, she took him to the stables, where Bleeding Star had been for quite some time now. She wished she could take him for a ride but with the threat of the Harpys she couldn't leave the pyramid, and besides going to the desert outside there wasn't enough space for her horse to stretch his legs. Sometimes, she let one of the Dothraki take him for a ride, but she wished she could be the one to do it, more than once. Lincoln petted Bleeding Star and the horse let them. He said it was a very beautiful horse, and Lexa agreed.

She decided to finish her tour of the pyramid by taking him to catacombs, to meet her brothers. However, as soon as he realized where they were going, he stopped dead in his tracks. She turned around and frowned.

"Lincoln?"

"Please don't take me there. I thought I was being good."

She'd never been more confused in her life.

"What? What's wrong?"

"I... I don't want to die..."

"What? You're not going to die, what are you talking about? I just wanted to show you my brothers. They're nice. You'll like them, I promise."

He was still very hesitant, and Lexa thought she could even see tears in his eyes.

"Are you afraid of the dragons? We don't have to go if you're afraid."

He quickly brushed his unshed tears with his hands.

"I'm not afraid, I'm brave," he replied as if offended.

He continued to walk, suddenly, even going ahead of her. Lexa watched him pass her with furrowed brows. She could still see his legs slightly shaking.

They made it to the door and an Unsullied opened it for them. As they walked down the stairs, Lincoln's steps were less and less sure. Lexa stopped him at the bottom of the stairs.

"Stay here, I'll bring them over, okay?"

He nodded, though she could see the courage sipping out of him like sand in an hourglass. Lexa quickly skipped down the stairs left, and called:

"Rhaegal! Viserion! It's me! I have a friend with me, do you want to meet him?!"

Her voice echoed in the catacombs, only to be replaced by heavy steps and scaled sliding on wet stone. After a minute or so, they walked into the light given to them by the barely open door. Lincoln reared back at their sight. Their heads alone, all scales and sharp teeth and mean yellow eyes, were twice Lexa's size. She didn't seem to care. Instead, she embarrassed them both, hugged their toothy jaws – still slightly bloody, they must have had dinner recently – and began to scratch their scales, as if she were petting a dog.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet my new friend. This is Lincoln. He's a friend, understand?"

Four yellow eyes fell on the boy who stumbled back on the stairs, trembling.

"Lincoln, this is Rhaegal and Viserion. Do you want to pet them? Viserion really liked to be scratched, don't you big brother?"

She scratched the underside of his jaws and the spikes on his back extended and moved as he closed his eyes. Lincoln was stunned. They didn't look like killing machines, but rather like very big and scaly cats. He stood up, slowly, and walked up to Viserion, even more slowly. When he was close enough, Lexa took his hand and placed it on Viserion's nuzzle, before the poor boy could even prepare himself. She continued to focus her attention on Rhaegal while Lincoln tentatively passed his hands over the heated scales of Viserion's face. Then, a big smile broke over his face.

"You're a friend of the dragon, now." Lexa explained, "We always protect our friends."

"No one would ever believe me if I told them I went into the catacombs and survived."

Lexa frowned.

"Is that why you were scared? What do people say about the catacombs?"

"That when you come in you never get out, because the Dragon Queen has given you to her children. I've heard people say she burns the people who come to bother her. It's why all the orphans are too scared of the pyramid. Most of the slaves, too."

Lexa shook her head.

"My mom doesn't do that. She always listens to everyone. She only burns those who really deserved it. And I'm not my mom anyway. I don't burn people alive."

They left the catacombs some time later, but Lexa promised Lincoln they could return next week if he wanted to. He smiled and said he would like that.

* * *

Lexa was enjoying yet another day off in Lincoln's company, a few weeks later. Nothing especially bad had happened in the last few weeks, and beside the fact that there still wasn't any sign of the return of her mother, peace had returned to the city, for good it seemed. Lincoln turned out to be a very clever boy, learning extremely quickly how to read, though still struggling a bit with the writing. His lessons with Missandei also went very well, to the point that he could already speak as well as Grey Worm. Lexa was sure with a bit more practice he would be able to almost completely hide his accent.

They were seating in the archive room. Lexa had had more comfortable seats brought in for them, and they both found something to occupy themselves with. Lexa was reading another book, about the great cities of Westeros this time – Tyrion had given it to him a few days ago when Varys went back there for his secret mission. She was reading through the pages about Sunspear, the Dornish capital, when Lincoln looked up from his own scrolls. Lexa had given him the one about the fall of Valyria, the first one she'd read.

"Lexa?"

She looked up from her own book.

"Isn't lava very hot?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, this story says lava killed all the dragons, but the dragons are made of fire, so how could something hot kill them?"

She shrugged. She'd never given it much thought the first time she'd read the scroll, but now that Lincoln had pointed it out, it indeed seemed very strange.  
"We'll ask Tyrion, I'm sure he knows how."

"Does that mean lava is the only way to kill a dragon?"

"Maybe. At the fighting pits, I saw Drogon with spears in his back but it didn't seem to harm him much. He was just very angry when my mom pulled them out."

She was about to return to her books when a bell suddenly echoed all around them as if its sound passed through the walls with ease. Both children exchanged a glance before they both stood up quickly and ran outside. The Unsullied were already rushing around them, going straight to the armory. Lexa didn't bother to stop them to ask what was going on. When they reached the nearest stone walk, they found Tyrion and Missandei already looking out to the ocean. Thousands upon thousands of ships with Harpy sails were clouding the sea, going straight to them.

"The Masters have come for their property." Missandei declared.

Tyrion looked at her, then back at the ships, terror barely hidden on his face. He then turned to Lexa and Lincoln.

"You two should go back inside. Find a place to hide."

Lexa's attention snapped toward him, and the fury dancing in he eyes almost made him recoil.

"You told me you had a plan, that it was going to work."

"It worked, you know it did."

"All I know is that there is an army attacking our city. So you better come up with something else."

* * *

Lexa returned to the pyramid and took a seat at the council table. Grey Worm was already waiting there. Lincoln joined them quickly, standing off to the side. The ships of the masters had arrived close enough to the city by sunset and had instantly started to bombard the city, throwing fiery cannonballs from their boats, which crashed themselves against the bottom of the pyramid. Tyrion and Missandei arrived shortly after.

"I was wrong, I admit it."

"That changes nothing," Missandei replied, hot on his tail.

Tyrion started to explain his new plan as he climbed up the stairs.

"The Unsullied could mount a defense of the beach end if..."

Grey Worm quickly cut him off:

"No more talking from you. Your talking gave us this."

"And I have acknowledged that. I'm trying..."

"Trying to tell me what the army should do. You do not know what the army should do."

Tyrion looked at his shoes. Lexa didn't move from her seat, listening. She'd stopped by her room just to pick up her dagger, because she'd gotten the feeling she was about to need it, and one of her hand was resting on its hilt, playing with the ornamented bone.

"Alright, what should the army do?" Tyrion asked.

Grey Worm had already exposed his plan to Lexa, and she'd approved. Though she didn't feel in that moment that they needed the approbation of Tyrion, she nodded, allowing Grey Worm to explain:

"We will not go to the beach. If we go to the beach the masters will take the pyramid. The pyramid is the only place in the city we can defend. We stay here."  
"And then?" Tyrion asked.

"We wait for them to come to us, and we fight them."

Tyrion's face showed how he didn't fully support this plan. It was the only plan Grey Worm could come up with, and Lexa had yet to learn about military strategy. She knew it wasn't ideal, but no one could think of a better solution.

As silence fell back into the room, something heavy dropped on top of them. Everyone looked up, and Lexa quickly stood up. She first thought that a cannonball had landed at the top of the pyramid, but more noises followed, making the chandelier trembling on the ceiling. Dust fell onto them as the thing moved, climbing down on one side. Grey Worm gave a signal with his head and all the Unsullied in the room moved to stand in front of the balcony doors, their spears at the ready. Missandei picked up a knife on a table and had come to stand on the far side of the room, with Tyrion and Lincoln. Grey Worm and Lexa both took their daggers out, ready to fight.

After a nod from their general, one Unsullied pushed the central door open, and another one walked through, ready to strike. He walked with careful steps, looking quickly around him. Suddenly, he saw something. Something which made him walked back and kneel, to everyone's confusion. The others Unsullied followed. Lexa's breath got caught in her throat.

Daenerys walked through the doors, Drogon flying off into the distance behind her. Her mother's face was cold and impossible to read, but Lexa knew for sure that they finally had a chance to win.

* * *

Lexa had never been happier to see her mother, but she refrained from hugging her. The cold mask Daenerys had put on was not inviting, and Lexa didn't dare look her in the eyes. The city was under attack because of her, because of what she'd decided to do and had let Tyrion do as well.

After much discussing between her mother and Tyrion, they came up with a plan which should assure them victory, for good this time. They called upon the slavers to set terms of surrender and decided to meet on a small plateau at the edge of the city. Her mother didn't even bother to change out of her Dothraki clothes. Instead, she, Tyrion, Grey Worm, Missandei, and Lexa, followed by a dozen Unsullied, waited for the three slavers Tyrion had already met with. The ships continued to bombard the city behind them.

A man, which Lexa vaguely recognized, though she couldn't remember very well where she'd seen him before, declared:

"Once before I offered you peace. If you had not been so arrogant, you could have returned to your homeland with a fleet of ships. Instead, you will flee Slaver's Bay on foot like the beggar Queen you are."

Lexa had expected insults, but upon seeing her mother so calm, as if the insults were passing over her like the wind, Lexa decided to stay cold, her arms crossed in front of her.

"We are here to discuss terms of surrender, not to trade insults." Tyrion declared.

Another one of the slavers replied:

"The terms are simple. You and your foreign friends will abandon the Great Pyramid and the city of Meereen. The Unsullied you stole from Kraznys mo Nakloz will remain to be sold again to the highest bidder. The translator you stole from Kraznys mo Nakloz will remain to be sold again to the highest bidder. The dragons beneath the Great Pyramid will be slaughtered."

Lexa gritted her teeth, trying to remain calm. Her mother would never let any of that happen. The Unsullied would fight and died for their freedom before that happened. Missandei too. The dragons would take a thousand of their man with them before someone could even get close enough to touch them.

"We obviously didn't communicate clearly," her mother said, "We're here to discuss your surrender, not mine."

They all chuckled.

"I imagine it's difficult to adjust to the new reality. Your reign is over."

"My reign has just begun."

A dragon screeched in the distance. The slavers and their soldier slaves turned around, slightly frightened. Drogon suddenly swooped above them, turning around to rest on the stone structure beside them before jumping down with a scream, to rest beside Daenerys. Her mother didn't say anything, just climbed her brother's wing and settled on his back. They were all standing to the side when Drogon landed, to avoid being crushed under him, and Lexa patted her brother's leg. He looked at her, and she thought he'd smiled. Her mother took flight quickly, Drogon almost running straight into the slavers. Soon, two other figures joined them, her escaped brothers who'd finally been let out of the catacombs. From so far, she could barely see her mother and brothers burning down a ship, but the flames and the smoke rising in the sky were a clear indicator of their easy success.

Grey Worm stepped forward and his men took a fighting position. He addressed the masters' soldiers.

"You men have a choice. Fight and die for the masters who would never fight and die for you, or go home to your families."

Very quickly the soldiers dropped their weapons and fled, leaving the masters alone and unprotected. Tyrion smiled.

"Thank you for the armada. Our Queen does love ships. Now, last time we spoke, we made a pact. You violated that pact. You declared war upon us. Though our Queen does have a forgiving nature, this cannot be forgiven."

Missandei explained:

"Our Queen insists that one of you must die as punishment for your crimes."

Tyrion stepped closer.

"It always seems a bit abstract, doesn't it, other people dying?"

The masters looked at each other, before two of them pushed the third one forward.

"Him. He should die."

"Yes, him."

"He's not one of us. He's an outsider, a lowborn. He does not speak for us."

Grey Worm stepped forward, looking at the man the other two had sentenced to death. Tyrion turned around, ignoring them. Lexa watched intensely as the man fell to his knees, begging. She felt her hand itching to kill him herself. She knew Grey Worm must have felt the same, even worst.

Grey Worm, in a swift motion, took his dagger out, and cut the throat of the two other men, before placing it back at his side and straightening his shirt. The last slaver, still on his knees, was frozen solid, in shock. Tyrion approached to place a hand on his shoulder, and he flinched.

"Tell your people what happened here. Tell them you live by the grace of her Majesty. When they come forward with notions of retribution or ideas about returning the slaves cities to their former glory, remind them what happened when Daenerys Stormborn and her dragons came to Meereen."

They left him there, on his own, trembling, the bodies of his two former associates bleeding beside him.

* * *

Lexa wished she could have a moment alone with her mother after that, but bringing the city back from the brink of collapse kept her Daenerys busy. Sure, Lexa had more time to do whatever she wanted, even take Bleeding Star for a ride outside the city – with four Dothraki to protect her – but she wished she could have a moment, just a minute to hug her mother, nothing more.

On the bright side, their conquest of Westeros suddenly became a very tangible reality. Her mother's 100.000 Dothraki riders had settled camps right outside the city gates, and Lexa would often ride through it to get to the empty plains where she could gallop to her heart's contempt. Passing through the camp meant every rider she came across would murmur behind her back, asking whether this little thing on her huge horse was Dothraki, was she the Stallion they'd all seen the Dosh Khaleen predict would be born to Daenerys and Drogo? Lexa had taken to ignoring them.

A few days after the masters, another armada of ships arrived in Meereen's harbor, though with much difficulty with all of the masters' ships blocking the entrance. This armada, however, had no intentions to attack. Instead, its captain and right-hand man came to speak to the Dragon Queen. Lexa had seen the ships arriving over the horizon, with their dark sails and golden Kraken. Tyrion told her this was the symbol of House Greyjoy, from the Iron Islands. Lexa didn't know much about House Greyjoy at the time, but the Iron Islands she knew of, off the coast of the Westerlands. When her mother called upon Tyrion before meeting with them, Lexa insisted to come as well. She stood opposite Tyrion, on the other side of her mother's throne, with her dagger at her belt and her hard mask on her face.

Two persons were brought in front of them, a man and a woman, both older looking than her mother, but not as old as Tyrion. They wore the same armor, gray and brown, with a Kraken on their chest. They both had brown hair, too, and Lexa assumed they must have been siblings. They brought the smell of the sea with them, it clung to their skin and filled the throne room. They were introduced as Theon and Yara Greyjoy, so Lexa assumed they must be pretty important. They were both visibly surprised to see Tyrion standing by the Queen, Theon especially. Yara looked at Lexa with a small smile on her face.

"Last time we saw each other was at Winterfell, yes?" Tyrion asked.

Theon nodded uncertainly.

"You were making jokes about my height, I seem to recall."

Theon looked down. This was probably what he'd been afraid of, Lexa assumed.

"Everyone who makes jokes about a dwarf's height thinks he's the only person ever to make a joke about a dwarf's height. 'The height of nobility.' 'A man of your stature.' 'Someone to look up to.' You're all making the same five or six jokes."

Theon tried to defend himself.

"It was a long time ago."

"It was." Tyrion agreed. "And how have things been going on for you since then? Not so well, I gather. Can't imagine you would have murdered the Stark boys if things had been going well."

"I didn't murder the Stark boys," Theon replied. Lexa thought he was about to defend himself again, but instead, he added: "But I did things that were just as bad or worse."

"And he paid for them," Yara said.

"Doesn't seem like it. He's still alive." Tyrion replied.

He paused, thinking, and Lexa knew he was about to put an end to this argument.

"It was complicated for you, I'm sure, growing up at Winterfell. Never quite knowing who you are. But then, we all live complicated lives, don't we?"

Her mother cut through, turning to the two Islanders.

"You've brought us 100 ships from the Iron Fleet with men to sail them. In return, I expect you want me to support your claim to the throne of the Iron Islands?"

Theon once again shook his head.

"Not my claim," he pointed to his sister, "Hers."

Her mother looked pleasantly surprised. Lexa tried not to show her own surprise too much. Didn't Tyrion tell her that in Westeros he was customary to bypass women's birthright if she had a male sibling, even if he was younger?

"And what's wrong with you?" Deanerys asked Theon.

"I'm not fit to rule," he replied simply.

"We can agree upon that, at least," Tyrion added.

Her mother once again turned to Yara.

"Has the Iron Islands ever had a Queen before?"

"No more than Westeros."

Theon then intervened, explaining:

"Our uncle Euron returned home after a long absence. He murdered our father and took the Salt Throne from Yara. He would have murdered us if we'd stayed."  
Daenerys nodded.

"Lord Tyrion tells me your father was a terrible king."

"You and I have that in common," Yara replied.

Her mother agreed:

"We do. And both murdered by a usurper as well."

She then turned to Tyrion.

"Will their ships be enough?"

"With the former masters' fleet, possibly. Barely."

He frowned thoughtfully like Lexa had seen him done a thousand times in the past years and asked:

"There are more than a 100 ships in the Iron Fleet."

Theon intervened:

"There are, and Euron is building more. He's going to offer them to you."

"So why shouldn't I wait for him?"

"The Iron Fleet isn't all he's bringing. He also wants to give you..."

Theon seemed hesitant to say it. Not his sister.

"His big cock, I think he said."

Lexa had no idea what a cock was, but judging by her mother's disbelieving face, this Euron would be fed to her brothers before he ever got a chance to offer it.

"Euron's offer is also an offer of marriage, you see," Yara continued, "You won't get one without the other."

"And I imagine your offer is free of any marriage demands?"

Yara smirked.

"I never demand, but I'm up for anything, really."

Lexa thought her brain had stopped working for a minute, and the more she thought about Yara's words the more she could feel her cheeks heating up. Was that even possible? For a woman to marry another woman? Her mother said nothing if not smile just a bit. Lexa tried to stop thinking about it and focus on the conversation again, but a part of her mind was completely focused on it.

"And you don't want the Seven Kingdoms?"

Lexa tried to focus on her mother's voice, and the answer Theon gave her:

"Your ancestors defeated ours and took the Iron Islands. We ask you to give them back."

"And that's all?"

Yara shrugged.

"We'd like you to help us murder an uncle or two who don't think a woman's fit to rule."

"Reasonable."

She looked at Tyrion to see if he had anything to add. He asked:

"What if everyone starts demanding their independence?"

"She's not demanding, she's asking. The others are free to ask as well." Daenerys replied. It was obvious, from her tone, that her mother was having a very good time, far better than she would have expected when she saw the black and golden sails over the horizon.

She glanced at Lexa who was just as composed as before if only a bit redder.

"Our fathers were evil men. They left the world worse than they found it. We're not going to do that. We're going to leave the world better than we found it."  
She stood up and began to walk down the stairs toward Yara.

"You will support my claim as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and respect the integrity of the Seven Kingdoms. No more reeving, roving, raiding, or raping."

Yara seemed displeased by her mother's demand.

"That's our way of life."

"No more." Daenerys insisted.

Yara glanced at her brother, who nodded sharply. Determination set on the woman's face.

"No more."

Yara extended her arm. Her mother looked back at Tyrion, who nodded as well. She took Yara's forearm in hers, sealing their alliance. Lexa was pretty sure Yara could have sealed their alliance with a kiss she would have gladly accepted as well. In another world, perhaps.

* * *

Varys returned with twice as many ships as the Iron Fleet. Some had orange sails with red suns on them, others had green sails with golden flowers on them. Tyrion told her those were the sigils of Houses Martell and Tyrell, two great Houses of Westeros. With their help, they would ferry all of their armies across the Narrow Sea, and all the way to Dragonstone.

Leaving Meereen, however, meant leaving Lincoln behind. When the boy was introduced to the Queen, she seemed impressed by Lexa's decision. She told her she wouldn't have ever even thought about it, and Lexa should be proud of herself. It was decided that Lincoln would stay in the pyramid, and learn everything he could so that one day he would preside over the council ruling Meereen. In the meantime, Daario would stay and help rule the city. Lexa was sad to have to leave them both behind, though she promised to write often.

To this day, Lincoln was still her friend, and he came to visit her often in Westeros. Daario, however, she'd never seen again. Her last memory of him had been a broken man trying to smile as the love of his life sailed away, never to return. Lincoln had told her how he'd never been the same since, especially after the death of her mother. He'd been devastated to hear the news, more than anyone. Lexa had tried inviting him multiple times to Westeros. She'd even sent an invitation to her wedding. Lincoln had replied for him, 'Thank you, but no thank you.'

Lexa was excited to be on a ship again, even if it would be for longer than ever before. Their ship was the biggest, with a golden dragon on the prow and Targaryen painted sails above them. A few other ships had dragons on their prows, and some, probably to please her Dothraki screamers, had rearing horses, which were just as beautiful as the dragons, Lexa thought. She had to leave Bleeding Star in the careful hands of the Dothraki, so he could travel with them in one of the ships equipped with stables. Her brothers – all three of them had been flying freely over the city since the masters' attack – were excitedly gleaming over the water and ready to leave, as if they were just as excited as Lexa to finally go home.

Before they embarked on the ship, however, her mother had summoned her. Lexa, with both her daggers at her belt and her training sword on her back, went knocking at the door of her mother's bedroom.

"Come in."

She pushed the door open and found her mother seated on her bed. Daenerys laughed at her daughter's sight.

"Aren't you carrying a bit too much?"

"I didn't want to leave them behind by mistake," Lexa explained.

Daenerys smiled and patted the spot beside her.

"Come, sit with me."

Lexa obeyed. When she sat down her mother took the sword off her back and placed it on the bed beside them. Then she smiled, and with tears in her eyes, she hugged her daughter desperately. Lexa hugged her back, and she felt something warming in her chest.

"I'm so sorry, my darling," Daenerys began with a heavy voice. "I'm so sorry. I left you behind to deal with all this mess. I tried to get back to you as quickly as I could but it still wasn't fast enough. I'm sorry."

Lexa hugged her back fiercely, with all her strength.

"I've missed you."

"I've missed you too sweetling, so much. I should have never left to begin with. I'm sorry."

Lexa didn't know she'd missed her mother's hugs until she was in her arms once again. She felt a sob shaking them, though she had no idea which one had sobbed. It was as if her mother would never let go of her again, and Lexa would not have complained if it was the case. She buried her head in her mother's silver hair and stayed there, with her eyes closed, barely containing her tears, for what had felt like an eternity.

When her mother finally pulled away, though not letting go of her completely, she brushed her own tears with one hand before looking down at her daughter.

"I want you to know how proud of you I am. You've done amazing things, things I would have never been able to do when I was your age."

Lexa blushed.

"It was mostly Tyrion."

Her mother shook her head.

"He told me how you took petitions every day, how much you worried about what I was going to say when I would return. I'm proud of you, Lexa, and you should be proud of yourself too."

As if she didn't have enough, she hugged Lexa once again, and Lexa hugged her back because it seemed like the only thing she knew how to do at that moment.

"I love you, sweetling."

"I love you too, mom."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I was so excited to finally get a chance to introduce Lincoln in this AU. I kind of woke up one morning while writing chapter 3 and realized I hadn't brought any other the 100 characters since the beginning, so here we are! There is another one, but you'll have to wait until Wednesday to see them. You get a bonus point if you can guess who it is (just leave it in the comments).  
> I wanted to thank Tre_rox and x_hoffe_x for leaving comments. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This whole story is becoming rather bittersweet, isn't it? It kind of feels like there's a countdown over Daenerys' head sometimes. I'm just glad I still get to write some happy/funny scenes. The meeting between the Greyjoys and Daenerys is still one of my favorite scene in the whole series. I just need a shirt with "I never demand but I'm up for anything, really" written on it.  
> So, today's fun fact is something that I noticed while rewatching the last scene of season 6 when I was preparing this story, and I actually mentioned it. The next time you are watching the Winds of Winter pay close attention to the prow of the ships, and you'll find that some indeed have golden horses on them, which I find kind of cute. It's like Dany went "you know what would please my Dothraki? Horses on the boats! That way they'll really feel like its a wooden horse they're sailing on!"  
> But anyway, once again, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you again on Wednesday for the first part of chapter 6!


	9. Sixth Year: Dragonstone, the Beginning of a Conquest and the Winds of Winter (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa remembers Dragonstone, and how the most important people of her life all came together on that cold and humid island.

Lexa had gotten bored halfway through the journey. Unfortunately for her, all of her plans to train with Grey Worm had been ruined when she found out he was traveling on a different boat. Not even a Dothraki had been traveling the big boat with them, only her mother's friends and advisers, and the sailors. She got through the stack of books she'd brought with her rather quickly, undisturbed by the rocking of the waves around them, who made sick more than one. Then, she tried to distract herself however she could. First, she tried to train herself by throwing her dagger into the mast, but she almost accidentally killed one of the sailors, so her mother forbade it. Tyrion had to give her her birthday gift in advance – a hefty book about the History of the Great Houses of Westeros – just to occupy her and keep her from harming others.

She was excited, however, every time their fleet went near any semblance of land. First upon leaving the Dragon's bay, and seeing Astapor for the last time. Then, upon lunging the Old Valyria – though they'd sailed quite far from it, and would have sailed even further away from it if the winds had allowed it. They stopped once to replenish their stocks, in Lys, a small island off the coast of Essos. Finally, they crossed the narrow sea and sailed on Westeros' side. Essos was but a band of earth along the horizon, but Westeros was real, not hidden in the mist anymore. First Dorne, then the Stormlands, and finally the Kingslands, all the way to Dragonstone.

Lexa could see Dragonstones from miles ahead. She noticed the castle, first, with its giant stone walls. It looked like a fortress and nothing like the Great Pyramid. Its angles were sharp like blades pointing in all directions. She noticed the white cliffs then, raw and untouched. Their tops were covered in grass, undisturbed by the arriving of winter. Not a single tree grew there.

They all climbed on a rowboat where Grey Worm and a few of the Unsullied were waiting for them, and they started their slow journey toward the shore, over shallow seas which would have blocked their larger ships. Her mother stood up during the entire ride, her eyes focused on the Castle. Lexa knew this was their ancestral home, built by the Targaryen themselves. It was where her mother was born too. She couldn't imagine what her mother must have felt. She knew she never wanted to return to the Red Waste, even if she'd been born there. But here, her mother had wanted to return for a very long time.

The boat was pushed to the shore and the Unsullied jumped out. A stepladder was placed at the edge of the boat, and one by one they walked out, her mother first. She watched from afar as Daenerys kneeled and placed her hand on the wet sand. Lexa's eyes were on the castle. If the Pyramid had been full of empty and useless rooms for her to discover, she couldn't even imagine all the secret rooms in such a large castle.

Daenerys walked with determination toward the stairs, and they all followed, Lexa the first. They climbed up the stairs, only to find a giant door keeping the entrance of the place, with two dragons carved on either side. Two Unsullied went to push the doors open, and Lexa was able to see the castle once again. A thin, long ramp led up to it, zigzagging along the crate of an isthmus. Her mother walked through it silently, always ahead of them. Lexa wanted to say something, to comment on how impressive the castle looked, or how her brothers already seemed to have felt at home, however she didn't want to break the silence.

They walked inside through a small door after two Unsullied had lit torches to light their path. After passing through a narrow hallway and arriving upon an open set of doors, they found an old banner still attached to the ceiling. A flaming stag. Her mother pulled on it, hard, and it fell to the ground under her hateful eyes. She then turned to the huge doors barring their way. The two Unsullied holding torches opened it for her.

Lexa was stunned. It was the throne room, enormous, cavernous, with ceilings so high she could barely see them. She'd dared to think that the throne room in Meereen was huge, but it was nothing compared to here. Sand and dust had accumulated on the ground, probably carried by the winds through the openings high along the walls. One of the metal chandeliers had fallen to the ground. Another laid against a wall. The throne, however, was untouched, a massive chair carved straight into the stone, cold looking but far more impressive than the chair they'd called a throne in Meereen.

They walked in, everyone stopping short near the entrance while her mother came to stand near the throne, right in front of it. She looked at it longly, and Lexa could see the rise and fall of her shoulders as she sighed. Then, instead of sitting in it like Lexa had assumed she would, she walked beside it and into a room. Both Tyrion and Lexa followed.

The room was just as impressive as the rest. A huge map of Westeros, carved in stone, was the centerpiece of it. On the wall beside it, a dragon had been carved on the wall. Windows had been cut straight into the stone, with no glass to protect from the elements. Lexa assumed this was why so much sand and dust had been collecting on the table, small forgotten ships and figurines resting toppled on it.

Her mother came to rest at the end of the table, near Dorne, while Tyrion continued to look around. When he stopped to look at her, she asked:  
"Shall we begin?"

* * *

Lexa was staring at the waves outside, crashing against the cliffs. It was hard to see under all that rain, but every time a flash of thunder rang she saw them in all their glory. High, powerful, strong enough to crush a man's head against the stone should any fool try to swim in it. She half listened to her mother in the background, arguing with Varys. They said her mother was born under a storm like this one – which was why everyone had called her Stormborn. Lexa wandered what title she could earn from her birth. Sandborn? Starborn? They all felt weird. She stuck with the Stallion for now.

She barely listened as her mother accused Varys of disloyalty. The waves crashing against the stone were a wonderful show, far more fascinating to watch than people arguing. She turned her head away, however, when an Unsullied came to murmur in Grey Worm's ear, which no one else seemed to have noticed. Finally, once her mother had made her last promise, Grey Worm declared:

"Forgive me, my Queen."

Daenerys finally looked at Grey Worm.

"A red priestess from Ashai has come to see you."

Lexa felt an uncomfortable shiver run down her spine. A red priestess? Like Kinvara? Like the one who'd see her even though she'd been well hidden? Like the one who'd said her mother's bloodline would reign for hundreds of years to come, but maybe it wouldn't be Lexa's?

They all left the council room through the second exit and Lexa followed, not wanting to be left out. They went through the main door once again, Unsullied opening the throne room for them. A woman with blood red hair and draped in all red turned around, obviously waiting for them. Instead of standing by her mother, however, Lexa stood behind her, near Missandei.

"Queen Daenerys," the Priestess started in Valyrian, "I was a slave once, bought and sold, scourged and branded. It is an honor to meet the Breaker of Chains."

Her mother spoke in Valyrian as well:

"The Red Priests helped bring peace to Meereen. You are very welcome here. What is your name?"

"I am called Melisandre."

Lexa looked once again at the woman. She looked nothing like Kinvara, not mysterious or threatening by her simple presence. Rather, she seemed humbled to be there.

As soon as Varys spoke, Lexa was instantly reminded of his aversion to faith.

"She once served another who wanted the Iron Throne. It didn't end well for Stannis Baratheon, did it?"

Melisandre looked away, guilt passing over her face.

"No, it didn't."

Daenerys instantly took the priestess' defense:

"You've chosen an auspicious day to arrive at Dragonstone. We've just decided to pardon those who served the wrong king."

She turned around and glared at Varys. He bowed, and shut up. Her mother once again addressed Melisandre:

"The Lord of Light doesn't have many followers in Westeros, does he?"

"Not yet. But even those who don't worship the Lord can serve his cause."

"What does your Lord expect from me?"

Melisandre once again spoke in Valyrian:

"The Long Night is coming. Only the prince who was promised can bring the dawn."

Her mother recited something in English, which made Lexa frowned. She'd read it before in one of her books, though she couldn't remember which one.

"The Prince who was promised will bring the dawn. I'm afraid I'm not a prince."

Missandei suddenly intervened:

"Your Grace, forgive me, but your translation is not quite accurate. That noun has no gender in High Valyrian, so the proper translation for that prophecy would be the prince or princess who was promised will bring the dawn."

"Doesn't really roll off the tongue, does it?" Tyrion commented.

"No, but I like it better."

She turned once again to Melisandre.

"And you believe this prophecy refers to me?"

Melisandre chuckled, once, before explaining hesitantly:

"Prophecies are dangerous things. I believe you have a role to play, as does another. The King in the North, Jon Snow."

Tyrion frowned, surprised.

"Jon Snow? Ned Stark's bastard?"

"You know him?"

"I traveled with him to the Wall when he joined the Night's Watch."

Varys once again intervened, though with less disbelief than before:

"And why do you think the Lord of Light singled out this Jon Snow, aside from the visions you've seen in the flames, that is?"

"As Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, he allowed the Wildlings south of the Wall to protect them from great danger. As King in the North, he has united those Wildlings with the northern houses so together they may face their common enemy."

"He sounds like quite the man."

Melisandre nodded.

"Summon Jon Snow. Let him stand before you and tell you things that have happened to him, the things that he has seen with his own eyes."

Tyrion approached Daenerys.

"I can't speak to prophecies or visions in the flames, but I like Jon Snow and I trust him, and I am an excellent judge of character."

Daenerys smiled at Tyrion. Lexa, however, felt the gaze of the red priestess on her. Melisandre was smiling gently at her as if she knew something Lexa didn't, but once she would know she would be happy too.

"If he does rule the north, he would make a valuable ally. The Lannisters executed his father and conspired to murder his brother. Jon Snow has even more reason to have Cercei than you do."

Her mother seemed to consider things longly before she declared:

"Very well. Send a raven north. Tell Jon Snow that his Queen invites him to come to Dragonstone, and bend the knee."

* * *

Lexa was not invited to the war meeting with the members of the other houses. Her mother had asked her to remain in the throne room with the Sand Snakes, and Lexa had shrugged. Her mother wanted to be a Queen, not a mother, and she understood. She headed into the throne room with both her daggers at her belt and her sword on her back, since Grey Worm promised they would train one last time before he left for Casterly Rock.

Four women were waiting in the throne room when she arrived, seating on the stairs leading up to the throne. They looked up when Lexa approached, one hand on the hilt of her dagger and the other around the leather strap of her sword, fisted against her chest.

The three youngest women looked alike, all sporting dark hair and dark eyes. The fourth one, visibly older, had lighter hair, though they seemed to have been dyed, as the crown of her head was darker. Her eyes were dark, too. They were all dressed in brown leather armor and orange coats, with their weapons at their sides. Daggers, a whip and a lance for the three youngest, and a bow and arrows for the oldest one.

"What do you want?" the one with the lance asked as Lexa approached.

Lexa put on her brave face, impressed nonetheless to be standing in the presence of four fierce looking warriors, and replied:

"My mother asked me to stay here instead of attending the war council."

"And who's that?" the one with the daggers asked.

"Queen Daenerys Targaryen," Lexa replied simply.

She thought her answer would have impressed them, and she would have earned at least a bit of their respect. Instead, they all chuckled, except the older one, and the one with the whip declared:

"So you're the Baby Dragon."

And here Lexa had thought there would never be a worse nickname for her than Little Dragon.

"Don't call me that." she snapped back.

Once again, the three youngest laughed.

"She's a feisty one," the one with the daggers nodded, "I like her."

Lexa ignored them.

"My mother said they call you Sand Snakes. Why?"

"Why do you think?" the one with the lance asked.

"Because you're quiet, and your enemies don't see you coming." Lexa guessed.

"And she's smart too," the one with the whip added. "Why do you carry all these weapons, Baby Dragon?"

"Same reason as you." Lexa simply replied.

"But we know how to use them." the one with the lance joked.

Lexa glared at them.

"I know how to use them! And the spear too!"

"Oh, do you hear that?" the one with the whip replied, sarcasm dripping from her voice, "she can use a sword and daggers, and a spear too!"

While her two sisters laughed, she added:

"Using them is one thing. Being able to kill with them is another."

"I've killed before, you know!"

Lexa quickly pulled out her Dothraki dagger.

"With this one, I've killed three men who'd been attacking us in the fighting pits of Meereen." she proudly defended.

The three youngest sand snakes continued to chuckle, thinking Lexa had been lying. The oldest one, however, finally started to look more longly at Lexa.

"And how old were you, Baby Dragon? Four?"

"No, I was three."

They continued to laugh, but suddenly the oldest one intervened:

"How did you do it?" she asked, not one drip of joke or sarcasm in her voice. She was deadly serious, just like Lexa.

The three others turned towards her in shock.

"You don't really believe her, Anya, do you?"

Anya ignored them.

"Those three men you killed, how did you do it?"

Lexa was stunned for a moment. No one had ever asked her how she'd killed the Sons of the Harpy in her way, and she'd almost forgotten completely.

"The first one, I jumped on his back and slid his throat from behind. The second, I stabbed under the chin when he'd fallen to his knees. The third, I stabbed his foot when he was trying to run away, and then I took his own dagger and stabbed his chest, three times."

All four of the sand snakes listened intensely, but once she was done talking the one with the lance chuckled:

"You're lying, aren't you?"

"Am not! It really happened!"

"I believe you." Anya declared.

Lexa's chest swelled with pride, warm against her lungs. She smiled, and Anya gave a small, tentative smile in return. The other three shook their heads.

"Well, I don't."

The one with the spear stood up.

"You know how to fight against one of these?"

She showed off her spear for good measure.

"I've been trained by the commander of the Unsullied. I know how to fight against a spear."

The young woman took the spear with both hands, ready to attack. Lexa was about to draw her sword when the sound of multiple footsteps echoed out of the council room. Varys exited first, ignoring the five girls on the side. Then, a woman which looked a lot like the youngest of the Sand Snakes exited. She stopped to look at them, at the girl with a spear pointing her weapon toward Lexa, and Lexa with a hand on the hilt of her sword.

"Come on girls, you'll play later."

They huffed and the one with the spear straightened herself and threw her spear back into one hand. They walked off the stairs.

"You better train because as soon as we're back, we're fighting," she warned.

Lexa continued to glare at her. Before she left, however, Anya stopped in front of Lexa. She looked at her longly before she declared:

"Take care, Green Dragon."

Lexa watched her go, surprised. No one had ever called her that, Green Dragon. She kind of liked it.

"Lexa, training." Grey Worm called when he walked out of the room. Lexa nodded and quickly fell into steps with the commander of the Unsullied.

* * *

Lexa was very excited to meet the King in the North. She read about the last King in the North, the one who kneeled to her ancestor, Aegon. They said he'd been wise. She hoped this one was wise, too.

She was standing beside her mother's throne, as usual. She could almost feel the cold stone against her back. They waited for quite a while, but then again Lexa remembered the walk from the beach to the throne room, and she didn't blame them for taking such a long time. She heard her brothers roaring through the windows as if they were happy about something. They seemed happy in general, to be in Dragonstone like it was the place they'd always meant to be. Lexa liked Dragonstone too, must mostly because it had grass everywhere, rather than sand, and she rather enjoyed the humid cold of the island.

Because the Unsullied were already on their way to Casterly Rock, the Dothraki took care of the security instead. Two of them were standing on either side of the throne, and two more opened the door, before coming to the sides. Tyrion and Missandei took their place, leaving two men near the door. One was old, nearly bold but with white hair at the back of his head. He was dressed in dark green, with black leather gloves over his hands. One hand had the fingers folded on the inside as if the glove was empty there. The other man was young, about her mother's age, with black hair partially tied behind his head, and a light armor, with two facing direwolves on his chest. He had the rugged look of someone who'd been fighting their whole life, with small, thin scars across his eyes.

Missandei was the first to speak, introducing her mother:

"You stand in the presence of Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, rightful heir to the Iron Throne, rightful Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms, the Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, the Breaker of Chains, and her daughter, the Princess Alexandria Targaryen, the Green Dragon, the Stallion that will mount the world."

There was a long silence after that. Finally, the older man declared:

"This is Jon Snow."

He seemed to be debating whether he should add anything.

"He's King in the North."

Her mother crossed her fingers like she'd taken to do ever since they'd arrived on Dragonstone. Lexa wondered whether it was because of the cold or a nervous tic she'd developed recently.

"Thank you for traveling so far, My Lords. I hope the seas weren't too rough."

"The winds were kind, Your Grace."

He seemed about to add something, but his companion spoke instead:

"Apologies, I have a Flea Bottom accent, I know. But Jon Snow is King in the North, Your Grace. He's not a lord."

"Forgive me..."

Tyrion introduced the man:

"Your Grace, this is Ser Davos Seaworth."

"Forgive me, Ser Davos. I never did receive a formal education, but I could have sworn that the last King in the North was Torren Stark. Alexandria, what did Torren Stark do?"

Lexa had never been gladder to have read about Aegon's Conquest. Twice.

"Torren Stark bent the knee to our ancestor, Aegon Targaryen, in exchange for his life and the lives of all his northern men. For that, he became known as the King who Knelt, and was subsequently appointed Warden of the North by Aegon."

Her mother nodded.

"Torren Stark swore fealty to House Targaryen in perpetuity. But does my daughter have her facts wrong?"

Davos looked at his feet.

"I wasn't there, Your Grace."

"No, of course not. But still, an oath is an oath. In perpetuity means... what does perpetuity mean, Lord Tyrion?"

"Forever."

"Forever. So I assume, My Lord, that you're here to bend the knee."

Jon continued to stare at the ground and fidget, only looking up at the Queen when he declared:

"I am not."

"Oh. Well, that is unfortunate. You've traveled all this way to break faith with House Targaryen?"

He chuckled then.

"Break faith? Your father burned my grandfather alive. He burned my uncle alive. He would have burned the Seven Kingdom."

Daenerys pursed her lips.

"My father was an evil man. On behalf of House Targaryen, I ask your forgiveness for the crimes he committed against your family. And I ask you not to judge a daughter by the sins of her father. Our two houses were allies for centuries. Those were the best centuries the kingdom's ever known. Centuries of peace and prosperity with a Targaryen sitting on the Iron Throne, and a Stark serving as Warden of the North. My daughter and I are the last Targaryen, Jon Snow. Honor the pledge your ancestor made to mine. Bend the knee and I will name you Warden of the North. Together we will save this country from those who would destroy it."

He continued to fidget as he replied:

"You're right. You're not guilty of your father's crime. And I am not beholden to my ancestor's vows."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because I need your help and you need mine."

Daenerys glanced at Tyrion, who looked slightly embarrassed.

"Did you see three dragons flying overhead when you arrived?"

"I did."

"And did you see the Dothraki, all of whom have sworn to kill for me?"

"They're hard to miss."

"But still, I need your help?"

Davos intervened:

"Not to defeat Cercei. You could storm King's Landing tomorrow and the city would fall. Hell, we almost took it and we didn't even have dragons."

"Almost." Tyrion declared as if he was reminding the man something. Lexa had no idea what, but she promised herself to ask Tyrion later. Jon continued:

"But you haven't stormed King's Landing. Why not? The only reason I can see is you don't want to kill thousands of innocent people. It's the fastest way to win the war but you won't do it. Which means, at the very least, you're better than Cersei."

"Still, that doesn't explain why I need your help."

"Because right now you and I and Cersei and everyone else, we're children playing at a game screaming that the rules aren't fair."

Daenerys looked at Tyrion.

"You told me you liked this man."

"I do."

"In the time since he's met me, he'd refused to call me Queen, he's refused to bow and now he's calling me a child."

Lexa could feel her mother's frustration vibrating in her voice, and Tyrion tried to look less embarrassed by the situation:

"I believe he's calling all of his children. A figure of speech."

"Your Grace, everyone you know will die before winter is over if we don't defeat the enemy to the north."

Her attention snapped back to Jon Snow.

"As far as I can see, you are the enemy to the north."

"I am not your enemy. The dead are the enemy."

Lexa frowned. What was he talking about? Dead people were dead, they couldn't kill you anymore. Her mother was just as confused as her.

"The dead?"

She turned once again to Tyrion.

"Is that another figure of speech?"

Jon, however, answered before Tyrion could make sense of the situation.

"The army of the dead is on the march."

"The army of the dead?" Tyrion repeated, skeptical.

"You don't know me well, My Lord, but do you think I am a liar of a madman?"

"No, I don't think you're either of those things."

"The army of the dead is real. The White Walkers are real. The Knight King is real. I've seen them. If they get the wall and we're squabbling amongst ourselves..."

He stopped fidgeting and took a step forward. So had the Dothraki, their hands holding their weapon's hilt, ready to pull them out of their belt. Jon looked hesitantly at them before he declared:

"We're finished."

Daenerys seemed to think for a few seconds before she started:

"I was born at Dragonstone. Not that I can remember it."

She stood up, and Lexa watched as she slowly but surely walked down the stairs until she was standing in front of Jon.

"We fled before Robert's assassins could find us. Robert was your father's best friend, no? I wonder if your father knew his best friend sent assassins to murder a baby girl in her crib. Not that it matters now of course. I spend my life in foreign lands. So many men have tried to kill me, I don't remember all of their names. I have been sold like a broodmare. I have been chained and betrayed, raped and defiled. Do you know what kept me standing through all those years in exile? Faith. Not in any gods. Not in any myths and legends. In myself. In Daenerys Targaryen. The world hadn't seen a dragon in centuries until my children were born. The Dothraki hadn't crossed the sea. Any sea."

Her mother was standing face to face with Jon, and with her heels, she was almost as tall as him.

"They did for me. I was born to rule the Seven Kingdoms, and I will."

Jon looked her straight in the eyes.

"You'll be ruling over a graveyard if we don't defeat the Night King."

Tyrion stepped forward, approaching Jon. Lexa was tempted to do the same, but with nothing to say or do, she decided to stay where she was standing and watch from afar.

"The war with my sister had already begun. You can't expect us to halt hostilities and join you in fighting..." Tyron wasn't sure of which words to use. "... whatever you saw beyond the wall."

This time, it was Davos who walked closer and intervened:

"You don't believe him. I understand that. It sounds like nonsense. But if destiny has brought Daenerys Targaryen back to our shores, it has also made Jon Snow King in the North. You were the first to bring Dothraki to Westeros, he was the first to make allies with the Wildlings and Northmen. He was named Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. He was named King in the North. Not because of his birthright. He has no birthright, he's a damn bastard. All those hard sons of bitches chose him as their leader because they believe in him."

The more Davos spoke the faster words fell off his mouth as if he was thrown in such a passionate speech he didn't notice he couldn't stop himself from talking anymore.

"All those things you don't believe in, he's faced those things. He fought those things for the good of his people. He risked his life for his people. He took a knife in the heart for his people. He gave his own lif..."

Jon stopped Davos with a glance. Lexa frowned.

"If we don't put aside our enmities and band together we will die. And then it doesn't matter whose skeleton sits on the Iron Throne."

Tyrion quickly declared:

"If it doesn't matter you might as well kneel! Swear your allegiance to Queen Daenerys. Help her defeat my sister and together our armies will protect the north."

"There's no time for that," Jon replied. "There's no time for any of this. While we stand here debating..."

"It takes no time to bend the knee." Tyrion shouted back. "Pledge your sword to her cause."

"And why would I do that."

Jon stopped looking at Tyrion and turned to Daenerys.

  
"I mean no offense, Your Grace, but I don't know you. As far as I can tell your claim to the throne rests entirely on your father's name, and my own father fought to overthrow the Mad King. The lords of the north placed their trust in me to lead them. And I will continue to do so as well as I can."

"That's fair," Daenerys replied. "It's also fair to point out that I'm the rightful Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. By declaring yourself king of the northernmost kingdom, you are in open rebellion."

Varys walked into the room after running through the hallway. His presence cut through the thick tenseness in the room. He quickly came to whisper in Daenerys' ear. She looked at him, her features unreadable. She then turned back to Jon.

"You must forgive my manners. You will be both tired after your long journey. We'll have baths drawn for you and supper sent to your rooms."

Daenerys turned to the closest Dothraki, addressing him in his language. Lexa understood every single word. She asked him to take them to their room and send someone for their baths, but also keep an eye on their whereabouts. She then turned around and began to walk back to her throne.

"Am I your prisoner?"

Jon's voice cut through the silence. Her mother stopped dead in her tracks and turned around, her crimson cape flowing over her shoulder.

"Not yet."

Jon an Davos were escorted out of the room, Daenerys not glancing at them once. Lexa could see her mother's lips pressed into a thin line. Bad news must have come up. They waited until the doors were fully closed. Her mother once again turned around and Lexa walked closer. Varys declared:

"Our Iron Born and Dornish allies were attacked on route to Dorne."

Lexa felt her heart sink in her chest.

"And?"

"Two or three ships escaped. The rest sunk or captures. Ellaria and the sand snakes, dead or captured. The Greyjoys, dead or captured."

Lexa thought her heart had completely stopped in her chest. The sand snakes had been killed? But that was impossible. They were too good fighters to be killed.

"All of them?" her mother asked.

Varys shook his head.

"One of the sand snakes has made it out alive. Anya, I believe. She is wounded, I've had people carry her to one of the rooms."

Lexa didn't even notice she'd let out a sigh of relief until her mother turned to her.

"Lexa, why don't you go see how she's doing? Tell her I'd like to speak with her once she's feeling better."

Lexa nodded quickly and bolted out of the throne room.

* * *

Lexa arrived at the room where Anya had been placed. A Dothraki was keeping watch at the entrance, and he told her one of the healers her mother had hired in Lys was already at work. Lexa nodded and waited on the other side of the door, glancing at the door and the Dothraki from time to time. She didn't dare to ask one of them to train her yet, and her mother had so many Dothraki riders that she had no idea where Kovarro had gone. All she knew was that he'd climbed on one of the boats with a golden horse on the prow, and she hadn't seen him since.

After what felt like an eternity, the door opened and a man from Lys walked out and closed it after him. His fingers were still sticky with blood, and Lexa's heart stopped hammering in her chest.

"How is she?" she asked instantly.

The man managed a smile as he looked down at her.

"She'll live, Princess."

Lexa let out a sigh of relief.

"A few cuts and bruises, as is to be expected, but she'll have to rest. I tried to repair her calf as best as I could, and she obviously drank a lot of salt water, but other than that, she should be fine."

Lexa nodded. She waited until the healer walked away to address the Dothraki, and tell him to fetch dinner for Anya. He nodded and went on his way. Though she hadn't earned their respect yet, they would never speak against her or laugh at her, because she was the daughter of their Khaleesi, and still the title of Stallion hung over her head.

She pulled the door open and found Anya in bed, vividly awake. She'd probably refused to take milk of the poppy. Lexa had never had to take some, but Tyrion had told her it tasted very poorly, and Lexa believed him. When the door opened she raised her head slightly and nodded when Lexa still hung by the door. Lexa closed the door behind her, and she pulled the chair in the corner to place it near the bed. She sat there.

"Have you come to keep me company?" Anya asked.

Her voice was strained, and hoarse, probably from all the sea water she'd ingested. A red mark passed over her left cheekbone, highlighting her features in red.

"Yes." Lexa had replied with honesty.

"Well, that is very kind of you."

Lexa looked down at Anya. Most of her was hidden under the bedsheets, covering her up to her shoulders. Her leather armor still peaked from under.

"I'm sorry, about your sisters." Lexa declared.

Anya nodded silently before she replied:

"They weren't really my sisters, you know. I've spent such a long time pretending that it doesn't matter but..."

Anya shut herself, either because she wasn't able to find her words or to not disrespect her adoptive sisters' memory. Lexa looked around. Her torn down sleeveless coat had been left on a small table, in a bundle, and Anya's bow and empty quiver, as well as an empty scabbard, were resting beside it. The quiver and scabbard were in leather, with strange snakes decorating it. It almost seemed like the snakes had wings. Her bow was black, beautifully carved.

"At least you didn't lose your bow." Lexa tried to comfort her.

This made Anya chuckle.

"You're right, I still have that, at least."

"What is it made out of? I've never seen this kind of wood."

"It's not wood. It's bone. Dragon bone."

Lexa suddenly found her gaze drown to the bow. The dragon bone looked so black, she'd never thought about what dragons bones would look like.

"You must have held on to it very hard to not lose it." Lexa declared.

Her memories of the pits, and of Daario almost losing his lucky dagger because he couldn't remember in which body it had been buried, were still fresh in her mind.

"It was around my shoulder. Can't quite fight with a ranged weapon when everyone is trying to stab you."

Lexa nodded, agreeing. This explained why her scabbard was empty.

"What happened?"

Anya sighed.

"Euron's fleet attacked us by surprise. Or the Iron Born were too drunk to see them arrive, I don't know. I tried to fight my way through, but with my calf slit, I couldn't move as well as I'd wished. Someone pushed me off the boat and the last thing I know, I'm being dragged out of the water."

Lexa had a hard imagining the mess it must have been. She wouldn't admit it, but she was glad Anya had been pushed off that boat.

"Does that mean you're the new lady of Dorne?" Lexa asked.

She had no idea how succession work when it wasn't from mother to daughter, and the history of the Targaryen succession line had been rather straightforward, with nothing as messy as Dorne's. Anya chucked.

"In Dorne, the leader is called a Prince or a Princess. But no, I'm not the new Princess of Dorne. I'm not a Princess, I'm nothing, just a bastard."

Lexa shrugged.

"Why can't a bastard be a Princess too?"

Anya didn't reply. Instead, she changed the subject.

"Those people in the pits you said you've killed. Did you tell the truth or was it just to impress us?"

Lexa shook her head.

"I was telling the truth."

Anya laughed, straight up laughed like Lexa had never heard her laugh before. Then, she declared:

"Obara owes me fifty gold dragons."

Then her laughter died down. Lexa thought she would have stayed silent, and maybe she should leave her be, but instead, she started:

"I was almost four when I killed my first man, too."

Lexa tried to imagine what a three years old Anya looked like, and how long ago it must have been, but she couldn't figure it out.

"What happened?"

"Ever heard of the sack of King's Landing?"

Lexa shook her head. None of her history books had ever spoken of a sack in King's Landing.

"It wasn't a pretty time to be a Targaryen, I get why they wouldn't tell you about it."

She paused as if she was considering whether she should be continuing.

"I was hidden under my father's bed when a man came. I don't know who he was, but he must have seen me because he pulled me out of there by the leg. He was holding a knife in the other. I think I kicked him before taking his other dagger and stabbing him in the chest. I stabbed and stabbed until someone else found me there. A good man. Took the dagger out of my hands and carried me away, back to my family, he'd said."

"Did he? Bring you to your family?"

"My family was dead. My father, my mother, my brother, all dead. He brought me to some relatives, yes, and my uncles took me in, said I was Oberyn's daughter. It worked a charm."

Lexa listened without understanding, and she wouldn't understand for another couple of years. When she finally understood, it didn't change a thing. She'd already embraced Anya as family anyway.

Seeing how Lexa didn't say anything, Anya changed the subject once again.

"Do you know how to use a bow?"

She shook her head. This was one of the few weapons she'd yet to learn, but she knew she had to because Dothrakis were famous for firing arrows while standing on their horses' backs, and everything a Dothraki screamer could do, Lexa had to learn.

"I'll teach you, then."

Lexa's eyes seemed to sparkle just a little bit more.

"Really?"

"Just let me rest a bit."

Lexa nodded. Someone knocked on the door then, and the healer returned with a tray, carrying Anya's supper. Lexa stood up then.

"I'll let you eat, but I'll come back soon, I promise."

"I don't doubt it."

Lexa walked passed the healer with a smile, and she skipped down the hallway. Wait until her mother heard this! She would learn archery soon!

* * *

Lexa returned to see Anya a couple of times, but since the woman was bound to bed for the time being, all they could do was talk. Lexa had brought her a book to read to occupy herself when Lexa was away. She claimed she didn't like to read and left the book about Valyria on her bedside table. Lexa also heard about her mother's change of heart, to allow the King in the North to mine dragon glass out of the cliff across from the castle. Lexa didn't have a chance to talk to Jon just yet, but she knew that he must have been easy to mess with. However, she had better things to ask him than to mess with me, especially the first time she saw him alone.

She found Jon Snow standing by the cliff-side, watching the ocean, which had strangely become a usual thing for him to do, apparently. She was riding on Bleeding Star, galloping around the island. It was far more enjoyable than galloping around the desert, though it usually left her hair a mess, her locks falling out of her braid and sticking out in odd places. She stopped by the King in the North, almost two heads taller than him now that she was on her horse.

"My Lord," she saluted him before jumping off Bleeding Star.

He didn't grimace because she hadn't called him king, meaning he probably didn't care as much as he should have.

"Princess," he replied.

She took Bleeding Star's reigns off and told him in Dothraki to run, so he went to trot on his own and graze in the large grass field.

"Is this your horse?" he asked.

Lexa nodded.

"It was a gift for my second birthday. His name is Bleeding Star."

Jon nodded, though he suddenly seemed a bit more unsure than before. Lexa stood straight and looked over the sea as well.

"Can I ask you something?" she said.

Jon turned his attention to her.

"Sure."

"I saw your sword in the armory, the one with a wolf on the pommel. You've ever killed with it?"

He managed a smile.

"I wouldn't be here if I hadn't."

Lexa nodded, once. She remembered staring at the sword for a long time when she found it there, next to her short training sword. Now, Longclaw was still in the armory, but a different one, waiting for her brother to become old enough to wield it. If she'd known then how important this sword and the man wielding it would become, she may have asked something else:

"Did your father gave it to you?"

Jon shook his head.

"No. It's a family heirloom but not my family's heirloom."

She nodded.

"I don't know my father," she explained. "He died before I was born."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I don't need a father. I have my mother, it's the most important, isn't it?"

He looked away, his eyes lost in the distance. He didn't say anything for a while, and just when she was about to ask about Jon's mother, Tyrion arrived.

"Lexa, what did I tell you about bothering our guests?"

"I'm not bothering him, I'm asking questions."

Jon smiled.

"It's alright."

"Anyway, don't you have better things to do?"

"Does it look like I have better things to do? Grey Worm is not here and Anya is still in recovery so I can't train, and everyone else is busy. Unless you find me another book to read, I don't have better things to do."

She turned around and whistled. Bleeding Star walked back toward her, taking his time like she told him to. She'd taught him three different kinds of whistles, one to come back slowly, one to gallop to her and the last one, which she hoped she would never have to use, run away. Behind her, Tyrion was still apologizing to Jon:

"She's a very curious girl. Smart, too, but sometimes a bit too curious for her own good."

She turned around and glared at Tyrion. She put the reigns back on Bleeding Star as Jon replied:

"She remains me of my sister. Both of my sisters, actually."

"Yes, she's a smart and graceful girl, and a little savage if you give her anything with a sharp end."

She decided to ignore them and climbed back on Bleeding Star. To joke, she addressed them one last time, now that she was far taller than them:

"My Lords."

She galloped away, too quickly to hear the rest of their conversation.

* * *

Earlier the next day, she suddenly saw the island emptying itself of all the Dothraki, all of them shouting and declaring happily how it was going to be a good scrap. She found her mother in the war council room, with Tyrion, looking intensely at the Reach.

"With luck, they should be near this pass, down Blackwater rush."

"Alright, let's go."

They looked up from the map and saw Lexa staring at them.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"You are not going anywhere. Tyrion and I are taking the Dothraki and Drogon and riding west."

"Can I come with you, please? I can take Rhaegal!"

Daenerys sighed. She motioned for Tyrion to leave and he walked out. Lexa approached her mother, and Dany had kneeled in front of her.

"I know you're a very competent fighter. You're a far better fighter than I'll ever be, actually. But I need you to stay here and keep Dragonstone safe."

"But..."

"If something happens to me, if anything happens, there needs to be someone here. Someone to protect the island and make sure the invaders are pushed back, at least until I come back."

Lexa nodded because she understood what her mother was saying, not because she agreed with it. Daenerys placed a kiss on her forehead.

"I'll see you soon, alright? In the meantime, I'm sure Jon Snow would be happy to show you around the cave, what do you think?"

She smiled and nodded. She stayed by the map, however, and watched her mother leave, her grey cap flowing behind her. After a glance at the map, she understood what her mother was planning. Quick and easy victory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! It was a real pleasure to finally bring Anya into the story, and of course, she just had to be a Sand Snake, there was no other more perfect role for her. So congratulation to everyone who guessed right!  
> While rewatching season 7 for this story there's something that struck me as pretty weird, and I had to go around it and try to accommodate to it but: Dany & friends go through the main entrance to the throne room to meet Melisandre. They go through the main door at the beginning of episode 2, but they were in the map room when they were informed of her arrival, and the editing at the end of episode one showed us the map room's entrance is on the left of the throne itself. I'm betting on a secret entrance under the fireplace, or maybe just a mistake because those episodes were directed by two different people and they thought it was cool but didn't think about continuity so much!  
> Anyway, I wanted to thank berkley18, Mofo, Tre_rox, and x_hoffe_x for leaving comments! And please, everyone else, I live for comments, so don't be shy, leave a little word! Also, we are 3 kudos away from 100 kudos, so if you haven't left one already and you like this fic (which, if you are still here after so many freaking words - over forty freaking thousands, guys! - is probably the case) then help me get to 100 before the end of the day, how about that?  
> Our fun fact of the day is about Anya's bow. I found out about dragon bone bows while doing research on weapons, and trying to think which one would suit her best. Dragon bone bows are the best you can find in the Game of Thrones universe because they are both strong but flexible too. They can send arrows much further than a wooden bow, too. However, they are very expensive, the bones come from Asshai and sometimes beyond so you can't mass-produce them. They are black because of their high concentration on iron.  
> Anyway, once again, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you on Friday for part 2!


	10. Sixth Year: Dragonstone, the Beginning of a Conquest and the Winds of Winter (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa remembers Dragonstone, and how quickly they had to leave the island, to deal with bigger threats.

Lexa went to fetch Anya, sure the cave would interest her too. Technically speaking, the woman wasn't allowed on her leg yet. However, Lexa had seen her walk around with nothing but a cane to support herself and barely limping. Anya told her that she'd suffered so much through her life that she could barely feel pain anymore. Lexa wasn't sure whether Anya was only talking about physical pain.

Together, they slowly made their way down the stone walkway, Anya limping behind Lexa who was skipping down the stairs in a combination of excitement and nervousness. She knew she wouldn't rest easy until her mother had returned. They came across a delegation of Dothraki, the few left around the island, following some Greyjoy soldiers. Theon was walking at their head, visibly uncomfortable.

"Hey Theon!" she greeted him in passing.

He barely managed to snap out of his thoughts to fake a smile her way before going his way.

"I thought he'd been killed." Lexa declared as they continued to walk down.

Anya replied:

"He's already dead inside, I don't think there's much left in this world that could kill him."

They made it down the stairs after passing Missandei, who was climbing back into the castle. Lexa happily explained to her that they were on their way to see the cave, and Missandei said it was a good idea because it was very pretty inside. Lexa was even more excited after that.

They found all the workers Jon had brought with him already at work, and Jon walking out of the cave with ser Davos by his side.

"...Enough to make a thousand arrowheads, at least." Davos finished.

"Good. We'll have them shipped to Winterfell as soon as possible."

"Lord Jon!" Lexa called out.

She walked up to the northerner quickly, abandoning Anya behind her who continued to limp to keep up with the excited little girl. Davos didn't even bother to try and correct her.

"Princess, what can I do for you today?"

"Anya and I wish to visit the mines."

Both men looked to the woman who finally joined Lexa leaning on her cane. Her face was inexpressive, very well hiding the pain burning in her leg.

"I'm sure that can be arranged."

Anya continued to stare at Jon longly.

"You're Ned Stark's bastard?" she asked.

Jon looked at her.

"And you are?"

"Oberyn Martell's bastard."

He nodded. Lexa wondered why Anya continued to introduce herself as such when it wasn't true, but she didn't question it. Instead, she looked back at Jon:

"Can we go in? I promise we won't bother the people working there."

"Of course. Just be careful, there can be splinters flying around."

Lexa nodded, and both men continued on their way. Anya continued to look at Jon until his back had been facing her.

"Do you know him?" she asked.

"No."

She limped passed Lexa and into the cave, and Lexa decided to ignore her friend's strange behavior.

* * *

Lexa had never seen so much of anything in such a small space. Fires had been lit all around the cave, allowing the workers to see better. It also made the dark stone shine like precious gems. Lexa was blown away. Everywhere she looked, dragon glass was shining back. She moved through the cave, avoiding the workers who were mining it with hard swings of their pickaxes. Anya followed silently. Together they made it through most of the cave, to the place where fires stopped to push away the darkness. Lexa placed her hand on the wall there, feeling the cold but smooth surface of the stone. It felt like water turned solid, like ice, but not cold enough to be harmful to her skin.

"The Targaryens used to decorate their weapons with dragon glass, I've been told."

Anya's voice rang around them, mixing with the echoing sound of picking through stones.

"Do you think I could take a piece?" Lexa asked.

"I'm sure they won't mind. It's the Queen's mine, after all."

Lexa smiled, and on their way back, she picked up a small piece on the ground, shaped like a broken arrowhead. She kept it in her hand until they reached the castle, and afterward, she placed it in her room, right beside her bed. If she'd known then this piece of glass would save the life of another, she would have kept it on her person as well, just in case.

* * *

Lexa brought Anya back to her room. The woman was tired after their trip to the cave, and Lexa couldn't blame her. They'd walked back up the path with the speed of a three-legged turtle, and Lexa had suggested multiple times that she could ask one of the Dothraki to carry her up. The first time Anya had politely declined. The next ten times she'd only glared at the Princess.

Once Anya was placed safe and sound back in her bed, Lexa decided to take Bleeding Star out for a ride. She had nothing better to do anyway. However, after galloping around the island for the third time, she stopped the horse and sighed. She'd grown very bored without anyone else around. She wasn't even sure where Missandei had gone. Her brothers were flying overhead since Daenerys had left as if waiting for a sign of their mother's return.

She heard Drogon before she saw him. They' were arriving from the seaside, while Lexa had been staring at the Kingslands nearest to the island. She turned around, watching Drogon fly overhead before landing, his huge black and red body just a tiny speck in the distance. She made Bleeding Star trot in their direction, knowing the horse wouldn't go on his own toward a dragon. After a few minutes of resting there, and her mother finally climbing down and Drogon took off to join his brothers in the sky over Dragonstone.

As she approached, she saw her mother speaking with the King in the North. They walked a bit, then stopped again. She saw her mother talking to Jon, though the wind in her ears didn't make it easy to figure out, but she also noticed that he didn't answer, just stared at the grass. She slowed down, unsure whether she should intrude, but her mother turned to her with a smile and Lexa jumped down her horse, taking her mother in her arms.

"You're back."

"As promised."

She hugged her daughter. Lexa could feel Jon's eyes on her, and she wondered what he was thinking.

"Did you go see the cave?"

"Yes. It's very pretty. Too bad we have to take it apart."

Jon smiled.

"Don't worry, Princess. Once we're done in the cave, there'll still be plenty of dragonglass left."

Lexa nodded, thinking about how easy it will be to explore the cave once Jon's men have made it bigger when five Dothraki arrived.

"This man says he is your friend, Khaleesi."

Lexa's jaw dropped when Jorah appeared behind them, the wind wrapping his cape around him.

"He is my friend." her mother confirmed.

Lexa was stunned, while Jorah walked toward her mother. She hadn't seen him since he'd left Meereen with Daario to find her mother. Daenerys told her that he was very sick, and for that reason, she thought she would never see him again.

Jorah kneeled in front of her mother, saying:

"Your Grace."

Her mother was smiling. Jorah's eyes fell on Lexa, first, and when he stood up she threw himself at him, hugging him tightly. He placed a hand in her hair. When they parted, however, his eyes had fallen on Jon with a sort of confusion. Her mother picked up on it.

"Jon Snow, this is Ser Jorah Mormont, an old friend."

Jon replied:

"I served with your father. He was a great man."

Daenerys declared:

"You look strong. Have you found a cure?"

"Wouldn't be here if I hadn't," Jorah promised. "I return to your service my Queen, if you'll have me."

Her mother smiled.

"It would be my honor."

And just like her daughter before her, Daenerys took Jorah in her arms, hugging him fiercely.

* * *

Lexa had not been invited to any war council meeting since the very first one. She assumed her mother was so busy planning that she didn't want her daughter always trailing and watching behind her. She didn't complain either. Now that Anya was feeling up to it, they started training. Lexa had been provided with a Dothraki bow, given to her by one of the Dothraki on the island – the bow had belonged to one of his former clansmen, who'd fallen during the battle of Blackwater Rush. Lexa, honored, had promised to take good care of it.

Anya had targets set in the courtyard, and a chair for her to sit in when her leg ached too much. The wind wasn't too strong behind the fortress walls, but Anya had promised one day they would train outside on the windiest day of the year, and Lexa dreaded that moment.

She'd never been bad with a bow, even from the start. Her past year training at throwing her dagger had helped improve her aim, and even from the beginning, she was able to hit one bullseye for every volley of arrows. Anya said it was probably her Dothraki blood, and that if she kept at it, she would soon be able to shoot while standing on Bleeding Star as he galloped. The simple mention of the idea made Lexa's eyes sparkle.

She was going to the armory from one of her training session when she came across Tyrion, dressed to travel, with his dark cape on his back. She frowned.

"You're leaving?"

He stopped dead in his tracks and turned around to face her. She started to gain up on him, growing a bit more every year. She almost reached his shoulders now.

"Yes. Your mother is sending me on an expedition, to prepare something."

Lexa frowned. Tyrion had never been so cryptic when speaking with her.

"Where are you going?"

"King's Landing."

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"You're right. It is."

"Then why would mom ask you to go there if it's dangerous?"

"It's complicated. Maybe you should speak to your mother about it?"

Tyrion was about to walk away, but instead, Lexa hugged him.

"Promise me you'll be back soon."

Tyrion smiled.

"You think it's so easy to get rid of me?"

They parted and she shook her head.

"Just, be careful."

He stayed silent for a few seconds, and Lexa thought he was trying to think of a joke. Instead, he smiled.

"I will be."

* * *

Lexa hadn't thought for one second her mother had changed her mind about the northern situation, but apparently, she had. She explained her plans to her, and it had sounded crazy until Tyrion had returned with the news that Cersei would agree to meet. No sooner had he placed a step on the sandy shores that Jon and Jorah were ready to leave once again, to go north this time.

Lexa followed her mother down the stairs and all the way to the beach, where they were prepping a rowboat to get to their ship. Tyrion was already there, handing something to Jorah. Lexa could see the first rowboat already on its way to their ship. Lexa stayed back, letting her mother say goodbye to Jorah first. She took his hands before he could say anything other than 'Your Grace'. They looked at each other, longly, only breaking eye contact when Jon approached the boat. Then, Jorah bowed and kissed her hands, before walking away. Lexa followed him, ignoring Jon and his men, and hugged the old knight.

"Why do you always have to leave just after you've come back?" she asked.

He smiled.

"I'll returner sooner this time, Princess."

"You better."

She walked away, watching her mother and Jon say farewell. He walked around the boat and she stepped right in front of him.

"You come back, too, alright?"

He smiled and placed a hand on her head.

"As you wish, Princess."

He walked up to the prow of the boat and on his order, they all pushed toward the sea. Lexa watched them go, glancing at her mother from time to time. It was obvious Daenerys was staring at Jon, and Lexa knew it would have pained her a lot to not see him return. So he better, because she would kill him herself if he broke her mother's heart.

* * *

Lexa hadn't seen her mother leave. She was reading against a window, watching down at the grass where her brothers had been sleeping. All day she'd felt a tight ball of something burrowed in her chest, though she couldn't explain it. She'd asked Anya about it but the blonde hadn't said anything. She wanted to ask her mother too, later.

She was so focused on her story she didn't notice her brothers had left their spot until their yawns echoed through the wind. She looked at them once again. Her mother was standing on Drogon's wing, dressed in white, speaking with Tyrion. She frowned. What was going on? All three of her brothers were awake then, stretching and getting ready to fly away. Without a second thought, she dropped her book and ran.

By the time she exited through one of the Castle doors, her mother had already left the cliff, Viserion, and Rhaegal right behind her. She ran to the edge as quickly as her legs would carry her, until she reached Tyrion, who was standing there, watching Daenerys' form grow shorter and shorter.

Lexa was out of breath by the time she reached him. She bent at the waist, breathing heavily.

"Where... is she going?" she asked between two pants.

"North."

Lexa frowned.

"What? Why? Is something wrong?"

Tyrion didn't answer, however. He kept staring at the horizon, as if her mother was about to turn around and come back, realizing her mistake. Lexa felt the tightness grow in her chest. No one can stop a dragon when their mind is set.

* * *

Lexa didn't sleep well that night, waiting for her mother's and brothers' return. Tyrion didn't even bother to try to sleep. She got out of bed just before the sun got up, and found him sitting in the library, an empty pitcher of win beside him. He didn't say anything, just looked at her sadly. She sat there with him, and together they waited.

A raven arrived in the morning. Daenerys said they would arrive the next morning, and everyone should be ready to head to King's Landing then. Lexa was relieved more than excited. She didn't care about going to King's Landing anymore. She wanted to stay here with her mother, even if it was just for a day. The tight ball in her chest seemed to have built a nest there, and Lexa had no idea how to make it go away.

She was ready when her mother arrived. They were all waiting on the beach for a rowboat to take them to a bigger boat. Tyrion was nervously looking over the horizon. Missandei wasn't fairing any better. Varys was very good at hiding his own nerves. Theon had been invited to join, and he'd agreed, even if he didn't look up for it. Lexa had asked Anya whether she wanted to go. She'd declined. She said the farther she was from King's Landing the better she faired. Their Dothraki bodyguards were waiting around them.

Lexa saw the boat arrive, then Drogon and Rhaegal fly overhead. She frowned. Where was Viserion?

Drogon landed at the end of the stretch of sand, with barely enough space to keep him out of the water. Daenerys didn't even bother to climb off. Instead, she waited until he stopped roaring, and shouted:

"Lexa, come with me, please."

Lexa felt a shiver run down her spine. She could feel the fake strength hidden in her mother's voice. She didn't protest, however, and walked toward Drogon. Daenerys shouted to the others:

"They need to hunt before going to King's Landing. I'll meet you there."

Lexa climbed on Drogon's wing, and Daenerys helped her behind her. Lexa had barely wrapped her arms around her mother before Drogon took flight again, Rhaegal not far behind. Lexa pressed her cheek against her mother's back, her face hidden in her crimson cape. She thought Viserion was already hunting, but everything she knew pointed otherwise. She didn't want to think about the other possibilities.

Her mother didn't say anything, not until they landed. She had brought them to the ruin of a castle, which had probably been beautiful, once. It had been burned down quite some time ago, long enough that plants had started to grow inside of it. They climbed off of Drogon, and Lexa looked around, both intrigued and confused. Rhaegal had landed, too, and neither of her brothers seemed willing to go hunt. She looked over at her mother, and the sadness in her eyes struck her.

"What is going on?" she asked, simply, because she had too many questions in her head to find the right one to ask.

"Sit down, Lexa. There's something I have to tell you."

Lexa obeyed, silently.

The next conversation was one of the most painful Lexa had ever had to sit through. Her mother's voice broke multiple times through it all, and Lexa thought she was about to cry multiple times, too. The boiling anger going through her veins, however, kept any tear from falling down her cheeks. When her mother had finished, apologizing once again, they fell silent for a very long time.

Lexa would never see Viserion again. She would never scratch his scales under his chins like he liked so much. She would never see his golden scales shine under the sun. Not ever again. She stared at her feet.

"Do you hate me?" her mother asked suddenly.

Lexa took some time to think, to stare at her boots resting against the stone she was seating on before she answered. She couldn't feel her heartbeat anymore. She thought a storm of emotions would be raking around her body, but she only felt emptiness in her heart.

"I don't. It wasn't your fault, there's nothing you could have done. I just wish I could have said goodbye. You left so quickly."

"I didn't think it would be this bad. I'm sorry."

Lexa finally looked at her mother. She looked small seating like that, all curled up on herself and on the verge of tears. Lexa didn't even feel like crying anymore. It all felt so surreal.

"How bad is it?"

"Worse than you could ever imagine."

"We have to do something, then."

"Yes, we have to."

Lexa stood up, determinate. At that moment, her heart only harbored one wish: to see the head of the Night King on a spike, for killing her brother. She looked around, wondering whether this place had been burned down by dragons, too.

"Where are we?" she finally decided to ask.

"This is Summerhall. It used to be a Targaryen castle. Your uncle Rhaegar was born on the day that it burned down."

"Why hasn't anyone rebuilt it?"

Her mother shrugged.

"I don't know."

"Well, once you take the Iron Throne, we'll have it rebuilt."

Lexa turned around to face her mother, and despite the anger in her heart, and the sadness eating through her entire body, she smiled. Her mother smiled back, though her entire being was tainted with sadness. Lexa threw herself into her mother's arms, hugging her. She stayed there until her mother hugged her back, until she was sure Daenerys had found her strength once again, and wouldn't collapse. Once they parted, Lexa helped her mother up. Together, they climbed back on Drogon, and flew for King's Landing.

* * *

Lexa wanted to fly to King's Landing on Rhaegal's back, but her mother said she was still too young to ride on her own, so she had to travel on Drogon, behind her mother. Once again, she kept her eyes shut, though involuntarily this time. The wind rushing past them hurt her eyes when she tried to look down at the forest and cities passing under them quickly. She only opened them again when she felt Drogon slow down and roar, and she saw the fighting pits all over again, but crumbled, collapsed and destroyed like Summerhall. Three platforms had been prepared there, in an open square. Drogon landed on the wall opposite the Lannister delegation. He roared once again, loudly, before slowly making his way down the pits. The ruins cracked and crumbled under his weight, stone, and dust rolling to the ground with him. Finally, he landed into the sand of the pit, and Lexa let go of her mother's waist. She slid on her brother's right side, both her feet finding purchase on the bone of his wing. Her mother settled on his shoulder, and he lowered them both to the ground. Lexa nimbly jumped from the wing and landed near her brother's huge claw, while their mother stepped on it to climb down.

As usual, Lexa followed her mother, her hard mask sliding over her face as she felt everyone else's gaze on her, especially Cersei's. Behind them Drogon roared and flew off, raising a large amount of sand with a single flap of his wings, and he joined Rhaegal in the sky, the two of them flying over the pits before disappearing from Lexa's view.

They came to sit on the right side of the square, Lexa's seat placed right behind her mother's, between Missandei's and Theon's. Everyone from their side of the square waited for Daenerys to sit to do the same. Lexa started to stare at the Lannister woman. She'd been expecting a monster, from the way Tyrion had talked about her. She didn't seem terrifying, however, just cold and glaring at everyone, and especially her mother.

"We've been here for some time," Cersei said, her voice burning with hatred.

"My apologies," Daenerys replied.

Lexa could feel the smirk in her voice. Silence fell around them, then. When Tyrion finally stood up, her eyes followed him. He stepped to the center of the stone floor they were standing on.

"We are all facing a unique..."

"Theon!" Euron cut him off, "I have your sister. If you don't submit to me here, I'll kill her."

Theon glanced nervously at Daenerys and Tyrion, obviously worried. Lexa felt her hand shot to the hilt of her dagger, almost protectively.

"I think we ought to begin with larger concerns." Tyrion intervened.

Euron grinned madly and stood up.

"Then why are you talking? You're the smallest concern here."

Lexa clenched her teeth, wanting to insult the other man. She'd never been gladder that her mother had accepted Yara and Theon's proposal, rather than wait for this guy and marry him. Lexa might have just killed him in his sleep before that had ever happened.

Instead of seeming offended, Tyrion looked at Theon:

"Do you remember when we discussed dwarf jokes?"

Theon replied:

"His wasn't even good."

"He explained it at the end. Never explain, it always ruins it."

Feeling ignored, Euron continued with his insults:

"We don't even let your kind live in the Iron Islands, you know? We kill you at birth. An act of mercy for the parents."

To Lexa's surprise, Tyrion's brother, Jaime, was the first to react then, shouting:

"Perhaps you ought to sit down."

Euron continued to grin and looked behind at his delegation.

"Why?"

This time, Cersei shouted:

"Sit down or leave."

The real monster here, a giant man dressed in a black armor with his face completely hidden from view, stepped from behind the blonde woman, a hand on the hilt of his sword. Lexa was sure that if twenty Dothraki had attacked the man all at once he would have made it out alive. Barely alive, but alive still.  
Euron obeyed, falling back into his seat, and the giant man walked back to his place. After thinking for a few seconds, Tyrion found his words once again:

"We are a group of people who do not like each other, as this recent demonstration had shown. We have suffered at each other's hands. We have lost people at each other's hands. If all we wanted was more of the same, there would be no need for this gathering. We are entirely cable of waging war against each other without meeting face-to-face."

Cersei asked:

"So instead, we should settle our differences and live together in harmony for the rest of our days? We all know that will never happen. Then why are we here?"

This time, while Tyrion was still looking for his words, for a good way to bring the subject, Jon Snow stood up. He walked up to stand beside Tyrion and declared:

"This isn't about living in harmony. It's just about living."

He paused as if he were searching for his words as well.

"The same thing is coming for all of us. A general you can't negotiate with. An army that doesn't leave corpses behind on the battlefield. Lord Tyrion tells me a million people live in this city. They're about to become a million more soldiers in the Army of the Dead."

Cersei commented:

"I imagine for most of them it would be an improvement."

This didn't make anyone smile but her Hand. Lexa continued to glare at her, and Jon walked closer, his expression cold.

"This I serious. I wouldn't be here if it weren't."

The blonde woman only smirked.

"I don't think it's serious at all. I think it's another bad joke."

Instead of addressing Jon, she turned to Daenerys. Her eyes fell on Lexa first, however, still glaring from behind her mother's seat. She then looked at her mother.

"If my brother Jaime had informed me correctly, you're asking me for a truce."

"Yes. That's all."

"That's all?"

She started leaning toward Deanerys as she spoke, and Lexa thought she looked less like a lion and more like a snake.

"Pull back my armies and stand down while you go on your monster hunt. Or while you solidify and expand your position. Hard for me to know which it is with my armies pulled back until you return and march on my capital with four times the men."

"Your capital will be safe until the northern threat is dealt with," Daenerys assured her, "You have my word."

"The word of a would-be usurper."

Lexa felt her hand tighten on the hilt of her dagger. Tyrion intervened once again, calming things a bit.

"There is no conversation that will erase the last fifty years."

He let out a breath before he declared:

"We have something to show you."

Tyrion and Jon stepped aside, standing beside their chairs. Slowly but surely, a strong man carrying a large crate walked up the stairs to the pit. Lexa was staring at him curiously. She assumed the wight they captured was inside the crate, but for a man alone to be able to carry it, he must have been pretty strong, maybe strong enough to take on the giant man beside Cersei.

He placed the crate on the ground before standing up. He then started to unlock it. Lexa's hand was nervously twitching on the hilt of her dagger, ready to pull it out. The man unlocked one side, sliding locks and metal bars off of it. While he changed side, Lexa glanced at her mother, who was staring at Cersei.  
The man pulled the other bar locking the crate. Then, he pulled off the top, which seemed heavy, even for him. Everyone held their breath. Not a sound could be heard from the crate, and now everyone was staring at it. The man looked inside, then backed away a bit. He placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, obviously nervous, and finally, he kicked the box to the side.

As soon as it rolled to the side, a horrible screech echoed. Lexa saw a man stand out of the crate quickly, before running, arms outstretched, toward Cersei. Lexa felt her hands shake at his sight. Before it could reach the Lannister woman, however, it was held back by a chain attached to its neck, and thrown onto the ground. Jaime and the giant man approached, hands on their swords, and Lexa stood up without even realizing it. The monster jumped back on its feet once more. Lex saw its bones, the way its flesh had decayed and rotten away, the way its eyes shone icy blue.

It attacked the large man, who cut it in half with his sword. Both pieces fell to the ground. Its legs continued to twitch, while its body flipped over, and it began to crawl around like a terrifying baby. It continued to attack the man, arms outstretched, and he cut its hand off. It fell to the ground, fingers still moving. Its screeches were terrifying, and Lexa was only half-sure they were screams of pain.

Cersei's Hand stood up and picked up the rotted hand, watching it twitch and move. Ser Davos stood up and followed Jon near the monster, who was still screeching behind him. He was given the hand, and ser Davos gave him a torch, which he lit for him.

"We can destroy them by burning them."

Jon held the torch on the hand's rotting flesh and it caught fire instantly. The fingers stopped twitching then. The wight did not seem to appreciate it. Jon let both the hand and the torch fall to the ground, and he took the dragonglass dagger out of his belt.

"And we can destroy them with dragonglass."

He showed his black dagger to everyone.

"If we don't win this fight, then that is the fate of every person in the world."

He pointed to the head of the wight who was still struggling around. He approached it and took it by the arm, raising it just enough to stab it in the chest. It was as if someone had cut through a thick wall of ice. The screeching stopped, but Lexa could still feel the shock trembling through her body.

"There is only one war that matters. The Great War. And it is here."

After a moment of silence, Daenerys added:

"I didn't believe it until I saw them. I saw them all."

"How many?" Jaime asked.

"A hundred thousand, at least."

He seemed even more in shock than before. Silently, Euron Greyjoy stood up. He walked up to the dead monster and touched it, as it to confirm it had been real all along.

"Can they swim?"

"No."

"Good."

He stood up and faced his Queen.

"I'm taking the Iron Fleet back to the Iron Islands."

"What are you talking about?"

"I've been around the world. I've seen everything, things you couldn't imagine, and this, this is the only thing I've seen that terrifies me."

He then approached Daenerys, and everyone with a weapon leaned closer, ready to strike him down, even Lexa.

"I'm going back to my island. You should get back to yours. When winter's over, we'll be the only one left alive."

He turned around and walked away. Silence once again fell into the pit. Lexa continued to stare at the wight with one eye, just to make sure that it really was dead, and it wouldn't stand back up at any given moment.

"He's right to be afraid, and a coward to run. If those things come for us, there will be no kingdoms to rule. Everything we suffered will have been for nothing. Everything we lost will have been for nothing."

After one last moment of reflection, Cersei declared:

"The crown accepts your truce."

Lexa stopped glaring at her. She was happy to see the Lannister woman could be reasoned with.

"Until the dead are defeated, they are the true enemy."

Jon sighed in relief. Cersei, however, continued:

"In return, the King in the North will extend this truce. He will remain in the North where he belongs. He will not take up arms against the Lannisters. He will not choose sides."

Lexa looked at Jon, who seemed crestfallen. She frowned. He had refused to bend the knee to her mother, why would this be a problem?

"Just the King in the North? Not me?" her mother asked.

Cersei chuckled.

"I would never ask it of you. You would never agree to it, and if you did, I would trust you even less than I do now."

She looked back at Jon.

"I ask it only of Ned Stark's son. I know Ned Stark's son will be true to his words."

Jon looked at his delegation, then to Daenerys. Finally, he looked back at Cersei.

"I am true to my word, or I try to be. That is why I cannot give you what you ask. I cannot serve two Queens, and I have already pledged myself to Queen Daenerys of House Targaryen."

Lexa frowned, her eyes quickly falling on Cersei. The blonde woman pursed her lips.

"Then there is nothing left to discuss. The dead will come north first. Enjoy dealing with them, we will deal with whatever is left of you."

She stood up quickly and walked passed Jon, her entire delegation following her. A tall blonde woman from Jon's delegation, which Lexa hadn't noticed yet, went to talk with Jaime. She didn't listen, however, staring at the dead wight on the ground, and Jon, who hadn't moved since.

"I wish you hadn't done that." Ser Davos declared.

Her mother quickly stood up, her heels tapping on the stone ground as she approached Jon.

"I'm grateful for your loyalty, but my dragon died so we could be here. If it's all for nothing, then he died for nothing."

"I know..." Jon replied, still facing away from everyone else.

They all moved to watch the Lannisted forces walk away, but Lexa had yet to step away from her chair, still in shock. What had happened here, on that day, would haunt her for a long time, far after the Army of the Dead had been turned to ash and the Throne had been taken from Cersei. Those screeches would echo in her ears during long stormy nights, replacing the wind and the sound of the pouring rain.

From the edge of the platform, Tyrion declared:

"I'm pleased you bent the knee to our Queen. I would have advised it, had you asked."

He then turned around to face Jon, who still had his back to him.

"But have you ever considered learning how to lie every now and then? Just a bit?"

Jon whirled around to face Tyrion.

"I'm not going to swear an oath I can't uphold. Talk about my father if you want, tell me that's the attitude that got him killed. But when enough people make false promises, words stop meaning anything. Then there are no more answers, only better and better lies. And lies won't help us in this fight."

Though Lexa was glaring at Jon for what he'd done, she still found truth in his words.

"That is indeed a problem." Tyrion conceited. "The more immediate problem is that we're fucked!"

He looked at Lexa with an apology in his eyes, but she didn't care. He was right, this situation was worthy of such a curse.

"Any ideas as to how we might change that state of affairs?" Davos asked.

Tyrion looked back at the entrance. The Lannisters were barely visible down the path, with only a swirl of red capes at the edge of it.

"Only one."

He turned around.

"Everyone stays here, and I go and talk to my sister."

Lexa ran through the chairs to stand in the middle. Tyrion was serious, she saw it in his eyes. Her mother approached him quickly.

"I didn't come all this way to have my Hand murdered."

"I don't want Cersei to murder me either. I could have stayed in my cell and saved a great deal of trouble."

Jon intervened:

"I did this. I should go."

"She'll definitely murder you," Tyrion assured. "I go see my sister alone, or we all go home and we're right back to where we started."

When everyone else fell silent, Tyrion nodded. He looked at Daenerys, then Lexa, and he walked away. He looked back once before exiting the pits. Lexa wanted to shout something to him, to tell him to come back quickly, but she didn't find her words.

* * *

Lexa waited a bit for Tyrion to return. When it became clear that it would take more than a few minutes, she started to wander around. Jon had gone into a corner of the pit, and her mother had followed him, so she decided to go to the opposite side, to leave them alone. She quickly noticed something she didn't have the chance to see when she'd arrived. The floor was littered with pieces of bones, some barely bigger than her and others smaller than her hand. She picked up a few interesting ones before returning to the center. The wight's body had been put back in the crate and Lexa had never been gladder for it. She found Missandei listening in to what everyone else had been saying.

"Missandei, look."

She showed all the little bones she'd found.

"Do you think that'll be enough to make a bow?"

Missandei looked at the little pieces of white and black in her hands.

"I don't think that'll be enough, Princess, but I believe you would need an entire bone the size of Drogon's bones to make a bow."

"Oh. I guess wood will have to do then."

She had already lost a brother, she wouldn't sacrifice another just to make a bow. She let all the pieces fall to the ground, and they rang hollow as they fell on the stone. She decided to occupy herself differently. She walked around, listening in on the adults. Whether Jon had made the right decision or not, whether Tyrion would return or not, what to do then. She stopped when she found the woman she'd been looking for.

"Pardon me, my lady."

The tall blonde woman turned around, her fur cape flying around her ankles. Lexa to look up to her to make eye contact.

"What can I do for you, Princess?" she asked.

"Your sword is quite beautiful."

The woman seemed surprised by her compliment and instinctively placed her hand on the golden hilt.

"Thank you, Princess."

"Can I see it?"

"Hum... of course."

The woman unsheathed her blade and held it out, flat in her hands, for Lexa to see. The weapon was as impressive as Jon's sword, she thought, the kind of weapon only a true and noble warrior would have.

"I wish I had a sword so beautiful. Mine is still blunt, you see."

The woman managed a smile as she placed her blade back in its scabbard, at her belt.

"I'm sure you will have a sharp sword soon enough."

"With everything going on, I think so too. Mother will want me to be able to defend myself."

"It would be very wise."

Lexa smiled at the woman.

"What is your name, my lady?

"My name is Brienne of Tarth, Princess."

Lexa nodded, then, she declared:

"Should the chance ever arise, I would like to fight in a duel against you."

Brienne seemed confused.

"Now?"

Lexa shook her head.

"I don't have my sword with me. Maybe later, when we go north. If we go north. Or maybe after the war is over."

Brienne seemed to have decided to indulge Lexa, at least a bit.

"Perhaps in a few years, Princess."

Lexa smiled.

"Then let's make sure to both make it until then."

The sound of approaching footsteps turned everyone's attention back onto the path. Tyrion came back, walking alone. Lexa smiled, but he still looked grave. Soon after, Cersei and all her delegation arrived. Daenerys and Jon returned to the center of the pit, facing the Lannisters. Cersei stopped in front of them and declared:

"My armies will not stand down. I will not pull them back to the capital. I will march them north to fight alongside you in the Great War. The darkness is coming for us all. We'll face it together. And when the Great War is over, perhaps you'll remember I chose to help with no promises or assurances from any of you. I expect not."

She turned to Jaime.

"Call our banners, all of them."

* * *

Lexa was glad to return to Dragonstone. Anya had been waiting for her in the courtyard, apparently far more rested than she'd ever been since she'd arrived. She joked with Lexa that it was because of the brunette constantly bothering her that she hadn't been able to heal as quickly as she should have. Lexa just pulled out her tongue in childish retaliation.

Her mother was preparing their imminent departure toward the north with her closest counselor and Jon. It had been decided that they would sail there, and Lexa started to think that she'd had enough boat for two lifetimes. Everyone would be coming with them, obviously, but whenever Lexa would ask if Anya would go too, the blonde had been uncertain.

One day, they were training in the courtyard, one last time before Lexa had to leave for Winterfell, when the distinct sounds of heels approaching distracted Lexa and made her miss the bullseye. She turned around and found her mother watching from the side, standing near Anya, who didn't need a chair during their training session anymore, resting with both her legs planted on the ground. She gave a sheepish look at Anya who declared:

"If heels distract you from aiming true, you won't ever be able to hit your targets with your brothers roaring over your head."

Lexa glared at her and knocked back another arrow. She could feel both her mother and Anya's gaze on her, but she ignored them. The arrow easily found the center.

She looked behind her proudly, and her mother smiled.

"You've trained her well," she commented, turning to the other woman.

"I have done nothing, Your Grace. The Princess has it in her blood."

"As suppose she does. But still, you've prepared her for the war to come. You've trained her, you've kept her company whenever she was bored, you even kept an eye on her when I was away. You didn't have to do any of these things and you did them anyway. Why?"

Anya crossed her arms.

"She's a very bright little girl. She deserves what's best in this world. But sometimes the world isn't kind to brave little girls like her."

Her mother nodded. Lexa still wondered whether her mother knew about Anya's true lineage then. If she had, she had never said anything.

"What will you do, when this war is over?"

Anya shrugged.

"Return home. What's left of it, anyway. Help my country if I have to, make sure it doesn't crumble into a thousand pieces. I have no hope of ever seeing my sisters or Ellaria again, but I can at least make sure they haven't died for nothing."

Daenerys was silent for a moment before she asked:

"If I gave you an important task, would you do it?"

"Depends on what it is, Your Grace."

"I need someone to keep an eye on Lexa. To protect her north when the fighting breaks out. Protect her south too, if necessary."

"You want me to be her bodyguard?"

Lexa frowned, about to protest that she was almost six and able to kill with four different kinds of weapons, she didn't need a bodyguard. Instead, Anya chuckled.

"Sure, why not. I don't believe I'll find anything better to do in this life."

Lexa didn't say anything. She just dropped her bow and ran up to hug Anya. The blonde was stunned for a few seconds before she hugged her back with one arm.

* * *

Lexa finished packing and was about to embark for White Harbor, when a Dothraki came to fetch her, saying her mother wanted to see her. This time, she was led outside, to the cliff-side overlooking the sea. Her mother was standing there, her crimson cape left behind. She was wearing the gray one instead. The wind was flowing around her. Lexa came to stand beside her, and Daenerys turned to face her.

"Your sword has been sharpened. It's already on board."

Lexa smiled.

"Thank you, mom."

Daenerys smiled sadly before she kneeled in front of her daughter, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We are going to the most dangerous place in the world, you're aware of that, aren't you?"

Lexa nodded.

"When the dead come, we will fight. I know you will want to fight, too. But please, promise me one thing. If things become too dangerous, if it becomes obvious we won't have a winning chance, take Rhaegal and flee."

Lexa was about to protest, to say she wasn't a coward, but her mother cut her off:

"Take Rhaegal with you and return to Dragonstone. And if the army of the dead is getting too close, fly back to Essos. Go back to Meereen, reign there. Do not come back here, do you hear me?"

Lexa nodded.

"Promise me that you will live. That you will do everything in your power to be happy, to have a long happy life, even if it's without me. Promise me, Lexa."

"I promise you, mom."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! And with this chapter, marking the end of season 7, we have reached the end of the known world. What does that mean? Well, it means this story is over, for now. If you tune in Sunday, you'll find the epilogue, but I will no go into season 8. Yet. But I like to think that I am always true to my word, so, I'm making you a promise. Next year, season 8 will come out. When that happens, you can bet I'll be there watching. And I'll be thinking. Comparing notes and theories and comparing my headcanons here with what the show has decided to do. And when the time comes, and I've watched season 8 enough times, I'll write a one-shot to complete this story. And I hope when that time comes, you'll be there reading too.
> 
> First, I wanted to thank x_hoffe_x, Tre_rox, and berkley18 for leaving comments. I hope you liked seeing more of Anya, she just fits right into this world like a puzzle piece it's amazing. And yeah, it's kind of hard not to write bittersweet scenes between Lexa and Daenerys, especially when you consider that Dany's going to die soon now :( Maybe come season 8 I'll write some sweet scenes between a very pregnant Dany and Lexa, I think that would be nice. Also, you guys, do you know how amazing you are! Last chapter I asked you guys to help me get over the 100 kudos mark, and in 24h we went from 97 kudos to 109 kudos! Now we are at 114! You guys are unstoppable!
> 
> Do you guys still want a fun fact of the day? It's the last one so let's make it count: this is a fun fact about Rise of the Green Dragon (because why not!) If you hadn't guessed already, Anya is not the daughter of Oberyn, her last name is not Sand. She is, in fact, Rhaenys Targaryen, the daughter of Rhaegar and Elia Martell. That makes her Jon's half-sister and Lexa's cousin. I decided to do the opposite of what the books did (spoiler alert for those who haven't read the book and care about this things). Well, in the books, Rhaenys was indeed killed in the sack of King's Landing, but her brother Aegon was saved. Just like Dany and Viserys he was raised in Essos, and the Martells have been planning for him to marry Dany and come back to Westeros to take the throne. In my story, Anya was the one who survived. Have you already figured it out or did it come as a surprise? Leave a comment and tell me what you thought?
> 
> Anyway, as I said, don't forget to tune in on Sunday, where I will not only have the epilogue posted but also a few surprises! In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this last chapter, and I'll see you on Sunday!


	11. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa's reminiscing brings her full circle and straight to her wedding.

Lexa smiled so much, her cheeks hurt. The better part was, she didn't have to fake any of it. She had started smiling when Clarke had walked down into the dragon pits, and she was still smiling now, three hours into the feast. Her hand was still holding Clarke's too as if the High Septon had forgotten to untie them. Clarke didn't complain. Together they had gratefully accepted the gifts from every lords and ladies who'd come. No one had sneered at them yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time. The sword at her belt was itching anyway, and she wouldn't begrudge at drawing blood at her own wedding. It would make it a bit more like a Dothraki wedding is all.

When the delegation from the Eyrie left the stage, Lincoln stepped forward, four men holding something big behind him, covered by a silk cloth. The men placed it on the ground and bowed before stepping away.

"Your Grace, My Queen, on the behalf of the city of Meereen, I congratulate you for your wedding."

Lexa had smiled at her old friend.

"Thank you, Lincoln. Now, you know I said no gift."

"I know. But, the other council members insisted it would be of poor taste to come without a gift, so we agreed on something small for the occasion."

Lexa chuckled. All eyes were on the foreign man now, and the clothed gift he'd brought.

"I can't even imagine what you would have brought had I not said no gift."

He smiled and placed a hand on the cloth.

"We believed a gift to commemorate your exploits would have been rather crude, so we decided on something more personal."

With a flick of the wrist, he unveiled a statue which glowed under the sun. A huge dragon had been sculpted in gold, massive wings extended, and under, hundreds of little people had been represented, protected from the sun by the dragon's wings. Lexa was in shock.

"We hope, with this statue, to remind you that the dragon protects everyone, especially their friends."

Lexa felt tears sting her eyes when she looked at Lincoln's happy smile. She held them back, however, but smiled back.

"Thank you, my friend."

Clarke stood up then, and Lexa looked at her with surprise.

"Come on. I know you want to see it from up close, but you don't want to let go of my hand either."

Lexa thought she couldn't smile even brighter, but apparently, she could. Together they passed around the table, their fingers always connected, and they approached the statue. The details on the dragons were almost as impressive as the one on the people under it. Lexa could see some of them wearing slave collars, and other discarding it.

"Where did you find so much gold."

"We melted the Harpy." Lincoln simply replied.

Lexa would have hugged him if she could have. She promised herself to hug him later.

"Where are we going to put it?" Clarke asked.

"I have no idea. I'm sure Tyrion will find a place for it though."

They heard the tapping of feet running up to them, and Lexa turned around. The twins rushed passed them to see the statue from up close.

"Which dragon is it?" Aegon asked, his fingers hovering near the golden wings, afraid to touch them.

"I don't know. Why don't you decide?" Lincoln replied.

"It's Drogon," he decided.

Lyanna sneered.

"Of course not, it's Rhaegal. The statue is for Lexa, so it has to be Rhaegal."

"Rhaegal wouldn't be so big!" Aegon countered.

Before they could argue much longer, Tyrion stood up and took his cup and a knife, to demand silence. He placed them down on the table once the twins sat back down and everyone fell silent.

"My Queen. I'm sorry to say I don't come with any gift, although I organized most of this ceremony so you could say I've already contributed my share."

The audience laughed like Lexa knew he wanted.

"I've known you for quite some time now. The first time I saw you, you were seated beside your mother and to be frank, I hadn't given you much thought. You were three, though you insisted everyone had to say 'almost four'..."

Once again the audience chuckled, though only after making sure that the Princess had laughed at that too.

"Your mother used to say her children were extraordinary, and I'm sure she always thought of you first when she said it. She would have been proud of you, and proud of everything you've accomplished so far. I was afraid. I admit it, I was afraid of what would happen when all of us would be gone. But now I know you've found someone to watch over you when the time comes."

He turned toward Clarke.

"Your Grace, your job won't be easy, I can tell you. She's as stubborn as her mother, even more so sometimes, but please, protect her and help her. She's going to need you by her side for the rest of her life."

Clarke smiled, and placed her head on Lexa's shoulder, squeezing her hand. Lexa was on the verge of tears, she knew. Tyrion took his cup back and raised it:

"To the happiest couple in Westeros. Long may be their lives."

Everyone raised their cups, shouting 'Long may be their lives' as loudly as they could. Lexa was sure she even heard the roar of dragons from afar. Tyrion finished his cup and brought theirs to Lexa and Clarke so they could drink as well, whispering:

"It's already been checked for poison, don't worry."

Lexa chuckled to herself and emptied her cup. As she looked up to finish it, her eyes were drowned to something in the sky. Though it was the middle of the afternoon, she swore she could see two stars shining over them, watching from afar. Lexa smiled at them and raised her cup. They must have been proud because they shone even brighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! So this was the end of Rise of the Green Dragon, I hope you enjoyed it! There is a bonus, which I will post right after. It was supposed to be the original epilogue but it didn't fit at all so I just kept it as a bonus, you'll see. My other surprise is that I have been working on a sequel! There is one last the 100 character that absolutely needs to have her own role in this AU, and it's Raven. I actually worked on the sequel when I started posting this story, in hopes that it would be complete for today, but it kind of sucked. It felt really rushed and incomplete, so I put it down, gave myself some time to think. I finally cracked it on Friday, and I've started working on it again yesterday, so hopefully, I can start posting it some time next week (if not then blame my adorably stupid cat who's been distracting me all morning.) This story will be named "House of Kings", but if you really don't want to miss it you can follow the series, there must be a link somewhere on the page I'm sure you'll figure it out.  
> Now I can't tell you how much I enjoyed working on this story. It's the longest I have written in a while, and probably my magnum opus (the good thing about being a perfectionist is that every new story you write is your magnum opus). I really hope you enjoyed it and if you're still here you probably have.  
> As usual, I wanted to thank berkley18, Tre_rox, and x_hoffe_x for leaving comments. When I was writing the story I always thought the saddest scene I would have to write would be the dragons being locked under the pyramid and then the day before I had to write the death of Viserion I kind of realized that this was going to be the worst scene I would have to write. Now I'm thinking the second death of Viserion might be even worse, actually.  
> I feel like there's a budgillion things I wanted to say but I can't remember everything! Obviously, thank you, everyone, for reading till the end, I hope you enjoyed this story, and I hope to see you for the sequel. Also, yesterday, I learned that there is a massive Game of Thrones expo in Paris all summer. Lucky me, I'm French, so I'm currently planning to spend a day there, just take the train, go see all those sweet costumes and props and take the train home. So if you're French and a fan of Game of Thrones (which I would assume you are), now you know.  
> Anyway, once again, I hope you enjoyed this story, and I hope to see you soon!


	12. Bonus: A Bastard Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Octavia wanted was some goddamn dessert.

The buffet had been calling Octavia for quite some time now, but she'd waited until all the proper lords and ladies had been served before she'd gone to fetch something for herself. She hadn't been invited to sit at the head table with the rest of her family. Well, actually, she had been invited at the head table, by Clarke, and by the Princess too, but she'd refused. It was already such a big fuss that the soon-to-be Queen was marrying a bastard woman, she didn't want to make an even bigger mess by seating up there.

So instead, she looked around. Looked at the lords and ladies eating and talking and walking around to speak with other acquaintances. At Lady Stark who thought she was being discreet when she and lady Tyrell had left for almost an hour, all the while the younger Stark sister was chuckling behind her back. Octavia had meant to approach her and speak with her but she'd yet to find the courage.

She looked at the head table, and at how happy Clarke was with her wife beside her – Octavia had joked whether the Princess would be her husband or not, but Clarke had thought it ridiculous. Her entire family was seated on Clarke's side, though Aden was fidgeting every few minutes, wanting to leave the table to go play in the gardens. Lexa's side was also rather full, though only the twins, who looked nothing like her, shared her blood. The twins favored their northern origins, it seemed, with their beautiful black hairs. Beside them was Missandei, Grey Worm and finally Tyrion, though he would stand up from time to time to speak with one person or another.

As she walked to the buffet, Octavia overheard people talking. She'd been seating at the same table as Clarke's extended family, the Conningtons, and they had ignored her through the entire feast. Everyone was talking about the same things. All the strangers from Essos the Princess had invited. Why the Princess hadn't invited her Dornish spy. Why the Dornish hadn't sent anyone, period. Octavia didn't really care. She wanted more juicy gossips than those.

She stopped by the dessert table, admiring all of the cakes and sweets displayed there. Royal weddings knew how to treat people right, and with the crowning in two days, she had no doubt the festivities had just begun.

"I would advise the lemon cake, it's always been a specialty of the Keep's pastry chef."

Octavia frowned and looked beside her. A dark-skinned man was standing there, dressed in a dark green silk shirt and leather pants, with sandals on his feet. Octavia blushed when his dark eyes found hers. He smiled, and suddenly Octavia wished she'd listened to Abby and had gone for a more sophisticated gown.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to bother you."

Though it was clear from his skin and clothes that he was a foreigner, he didn't have any accent when he spoke.

"Oh no, it's fine. I was just browsing. I'm Octavia, by the way."

He bowed.

"Lincoln. It's a pleasure to meet you."

She blushed again and wished she knew how to stop it.

"The Princess invited you?" she asked, to change the subject.

"Yes. The Princess and I have known each other for quite some time. It's thanks to her I am who I am, so to speak."

"And you are?"

"I seat at the council governing Meereen, as the city's ambassador to Westeros. We thought it would be important to keep ties with the Targaryens, even after they'd vacated the Pyramid."

Octavia nodded. It sounded important. He sounded important, far more important than her.

"And you?"

"Oh, I'm just Clarke's sister."

He nodded and his brows furrowed slightly.

"I haven't seen you at the head table."

"Yeah, that's what happens when you're a bastard, you don't get to seat at the head table."

He chuckled.

"Well, looking at the head table I would say your presence would have been the least of these peoples worries."

Octavia looked at the table again, from left to right. Her brothers, her father, who'd married twice and had fathered a bastard daughter. Abby, who'd given birth to a bastard daughter too, before marrying another man. Clarke, the legitimized bastard in question. Princess Alexandria, whose father was a Dothraki warlord, born in Essos. The twins, technically bastards too, though only called so far away from the capital. Two former slaves and a dwarf. She chuckled. This was the most unexpected assemble of people to sit at a royal head table for a royal wedding.

"You must excuse me, but I think it's my turn to present a gift from the city to the Princess. I'll be looking forward to meeting you again, my Lady."

Lincoln bowed again and started to walk away when she shouted:

"I'm not a... you know what, forget it. I'll just wait here, in case you were wondering."

Lincoln smiled once again and walked away.


End file.
